Naruto: Bonds of Brotherhood
by schoolme23
Summary: Putting on the hitai-ate creates a bond between the shinobi of Konohagakure. That bond transcends normal relationships. Those who would be enemies become heated rivals. Perfect strangers become close comrades. Good friends become brothers. Shinobi of Konoha are bound by these bonds forged in the Will of Fire. Bonds like that change the life of a young orphan boy forever.
1. Eyes in the Shadows

**Thank you for checking out my story. I plan on adding a new chapter every other week. I have had a lot of fun writing it so far, and I hope you enjoy reading it.**

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**Chapter 1 – Eyes in the Shadows**

"Desperation is the raw material of drastic change. Only those who can leave behind everything they have ever believed in can hope to escape." - William S. Burroughs

* * *

The forest was still and quiet in the cool of the night. Leaves fluttered on the trees as a small breeze swept through. The branches would shift on occasion, almost as if they were adjusting to a sudden weight. The moon shone brightly, and its light illuminating the night making it quite easy to see. What was unseen, however, was far more interesting. The untrained eye would not know what to look for. For those who had the skill, a glimpse of a woman would appear for the faintest of moments. Dashing through the treetops at breakneck speeds, she left only a red streak created by her long hair as it trailed behind her.

She had forgotten how long she had kept this grueling pace. Hours for certain, but the pain in her legs and the burning in her lungs made it feel as though it had been days. Yet, she could not stop. She dare not stop. There could be no rest now. She had a mission to accomplish, and that mission was one of survival. The life of a ninja is one of risks. She knew that when she began her training as a child, but it had been years since she had actually felt the fear of failure. Her skills had been honed and mastered over the course of decades, and rarely had she been faced with something that could possibly be beyond the scope of her ability. Now she was faced with this precarious situation, and life was in the balance.

His eyes told the whole story. She didn't even know for certain just who he was, but she didn't have to. The look in his eyes revealed his power, and the way his words flowed off his tongue spoke of confidence. The way he carried himself showed he was experienced. The fact he knew who she was and where to find her meant he was dangerous. It didn't matter what he wanted. All that she knew was that she couldn't let him have it. He seemed the type that would take by force no matter if the victim was willing to cooperate or not. Those golden, serpentine eyes bore into her soul and let her know that she would die.

Death was the only guarantee for a ninja. She had escaped it for many years, and now it seemed death had again come to her doorstep. Under normal circumstances this would not be a problem. She would have fought against the man. She would have struggled with fate, and forced it to yield life to her once more. Conversely, if she failed to defeat him she would answer the call of the grave gladly, knowing she died in battle with honor. This time though, things were different, and running was the only option at the moment. A small weight shifted in her arms, and she looked down at the bundle she carried. Her life was the only thing to shield this small child from her pursuer. Whatever her fate may be this night, she would die to make sure that her son was safe.

Her eyes scanned through the thick cropping of trees. She needed to find help, and her options were quite limited. She had family that lived in the safety and security of a large village, but it would take at least another day to get there. The various traps she set for her opponent were clever, and skillfully hidden, but would buy her an hour's time at most. There was only one person in the immediate area that she could trust. The problem was that she knew only where he had been last, and where he was going next. There was no promise that things had not changed, and no guarantee that he could be found tonight.

Her pursuer, luckily, had been toying with her during the initial chase. It was that fact alone that gave her the time to escape with her child. It also helped that she was well prepared to leave at any given moment. Yet, it had been nearly a year since she had committed herself to the intense training her body had been used to. Now, her muscles screamed in agony with every move, every breath set her lungs ablaze. The only reason she was able to press on now was adrenaline, fueled by fear.

Clouds covered the moon, and brought the night into true darkness. Perhaps it was only paranoia, but she could feel the eyes of her enemy upon her as the soft light faded to black. There was something about that man that caused a primal panic in her soul. It was only her own experience that propelled her initially, her desire to protect her son strengthened her will, and now there was a glimmer of hope. The light was dim, well off the main roads some distance away, but it was unmistakable now that all other light was eclipsed by a passing cloud. It was her only lead. If the camp did not belong to her friend then she could possibly lose all of the precious distance she had put between herself and the man hunting her. In spite of all of the risks, the slim chance was too much to pass up.

She moved closer to the camp, trying to be especially quiet in case it housed a new threat. There was a humble camp and a fire that flickered gently. The glow of the flame outlined a pull-cart that likely held some personal supplies and wares that were bought or to be sold at market. There was an empty bed roll on the ground. Other than those things there was nothing indicating that there was a person nearby. She would have to be careful. She dropped down from the branch she was resting on to analyze the area. The sudden jolt from landing reconfirmed the tortured state of her body. Slowly edging closer to the small pile of blazing wood, she held her child protectively against her chest.

Without warning she was greeted with the cold, sharp feeling of a blade at her throat. While it was not a pleasant greeting, it was better than having the edged steel bite into her neck with no hesitation at all. All things considered, things were looking good so far.

"Identify yourself," a calm voice commanded with a whisper in her ear. Given the location of the camp, and the quiet in this man's voice, he was possibly trying to stay hidden. This was another good sign. "Be quick about it, and choose your words carefully."

"Katsushiro, it's me," she responded with a simple prayer that this was the man that she believed it to be.

"Akane? Is that really you?" The slight pressure against her neck was removed as the man spoke. She turned to meet him, and she felt an overwhelming joy. Maybe, just maybe, there will be some good to come of this madness. "How did you even find me?"

"It isn't important. I don't have much time to explain, but they found me. At first I thought they were just after some Intel, but they were hunting me down. I don't know what they are after, or what they want me for, but the person they sent after me is good. He's really good. I don't think I'll be walking away from this one, so I need a favor of you," Akane responded. This was not really how she wished to see Katsushiro again, but it was better than nothing at all.

"I will help you as best I can," he said sheathing his sword. There was a reassuring calm in his voice, and a look of sympathy in his eyes. He would die for her if she asked, but the favor she had in mind was a bit bigger than that.

She handed the small bundle in her arms off to him, "I need you to take care of him for me. If they want me for my heritage, then they will take him for sure. I will lead the guy chasing me away from here, but we have to be quick."

"When did you," Katsushiro started breathlessly. The small look of shock on his face became more pronounced as he looked at the sleeping form of the baby boy in his arms. "When did this happen?"

"About a year ago," Akane didn't want to play twenty questions right now. "I would have told you but the last time we were together you told me that you had to disappear for a while. If they were close enough to finding you that you believed you had to go off the grid then I didn't want that anywhere near my son. The only reason that I brought him to you now is because I won't be able to make it to my cousin in time. Also, I trust you above all others. You may not be the safest choice, but you are the best."

She began rummaging through her pack drawing out some supplies that she had prepared in advance. She didn't need to hear Katsushiro agree to her favor. He would raise her son with or without her approval at this point. He would feel guilty for having not been there to help when she was pregnant, or delivering, but he would have to get over it. There was little time to waste, and Akane would spare none of it on sob stories, or guilt trips. She would ensure her son was safe, and then leave before her presence put his life in jeopardy.

"Very well," the response came quietly. She expected more questions about the how's and the why's that led up to this, but he must have become aware of the gravity of the situation she was in. "What would you have me do?"

"I don't really want my son involved in my mess or yours, but there is a good chance that he'll get caught up in it anyway. I need you to train him. Teach him as you see fit, and for as long as you deem necessary. When you think he is ready, or when it is too dangerous for him to be near you, take him to Konohagakure to live with my cousin. Speak nothing of his heritage to anyone other than the Hokage, he will know what to do. He knows who I am, and he owes me one. I have more detailed instructions written out for you in this scroll," she spoke quickly depleting her pack of the provisions she did not need. Placing the bundled parchment firmly in his hands he studied it for a moment as if trying to read its sealed contents.

"Alright, and what should I do in the meantime? I am ill equipped for child rearing," Katsushiro said. Akane knew he was nervous. The man probably had not thought this day would come in a million years, but now it was thrust upon him without warning. Story of their lives.

"I have a number of supplies that you will need. It isn't much, but it should last you a few weeks. There are dyes for his hair included with them, and instructions to make more. It will be necessary to help you stay hidden. You would be surprised how many people can identify the clan I am from simply by the color of my hair," she wasn't sure what else he needed.

"Do you have any other instructions?" He asked pleadingly. He wanted some sort of a gameplan.

"Umm," she was semi-frantic now. You cannot make plans to just leave your son to be raised by someone else because you feel you are going to die. "I guess you shouldn't let him stay up late, make sure he eats his vegetables, be sure he washes up, and,"

"I'm no fool," Katsushiro bluntly interrupted. "I wanted to know about any instructions you had regarding his training."

"Nothing special really. I left all of the scrolls I have that detail my clan's techniques. If he shows interest in learning them, then let him learn at his own pace. I know you can't teach him much about fūinjutsu, but help him where you can, and don't push him in the subject. I don't really have anything for beginners. Outside of that just make sure he is strong enough to deal with all the madness that will be thrown his way. You know better than anyone the people who are after us, so just make sure he can handle it," Akane was growing more anxious as time wore on. She couldn't stay much longer, but she didn't want to leave.

"Would you like a moment with him?" Katsushiro offered her son to her as if feeling out why she lingered. He held the boy awkwardly, but the whole situation was awkward. He seemed to be handling it well considering he was just handed a child and expected to care for him. As she took the babe into her arms once more she could feel the tears start to well up.

It wasn't right. It wasn't fair. She had been so excited to be a mother, and she had wanted so much out of this new aspect of her life. She kissed the brow of her baby and thought of everything she had wanted. She wanted to watch him grow. She wanted to teach him about the world the he would explore as a toddler and young boy. She had hoped to train him as a shinobi when he became older, if he showed interest. She wanted to see him become a man, and face whatever destiny held for him. She had wanted to see him fall in love, and begin a family of his own. So much was being robbed from her, and the only way she could secure any future for her boy was to lay down her own life.

"I want you to listen closely to Katsushiro," she instructed her sleeping son. She combed a hand through the tuft of dark hair, and kissed his forehead again. She wished that she could look in his eyes, but couldn't afford to have him awake. Too much noise would draw unwelcome attention. "Obey him, and apply yourself to everything he teaches you. Make friends, and find someone precious to you. Find something in life worth fighting for, and protect it with all of your strength. Have dreams, set goals, and strive to achieve them. Always remember," she was starting to get choked up. She had to say it. She just didn't want to say it like this. She wanted to say it more. She wanted to speak these words every day of this boy's life. Alas, fate is a cruel mistress and her will cannot be denied. Merely delayed, and Akane had put her fate off for as long as she could.

"Yurushi, my sweet little boy, always remember your mommy loves you," she nearly cried as she handed her child away and turned away. She was about to set off, before she remembered another important thing. Withdrawing a scroll from the pocket of her jacket, she turned back to Katsushiro. "I almost forgot about this," she put the scroll down amongst the other supplies that she set next to him. "This is the key to something very important. I wrote about it in those instructions I left for you. They will detail what it goes to and why it is important, but this is the key. Give it to him when you think he is ready."

"I will," Katsushiro looked at her strangely. He was staring off into the distance. Perhaps, he was trying to piece together the differences between the woman she became and the shadow of the girl that she once was. Akane could tell that he wanted to say something important. He probably wanted to say some sort of goodbye. Katsushiro hated saying goodbye though. To him it was a word that held far too much finality, and suggested that he would never again see the one he said it to. It was a strange idiosyncrasy, but it really described how much he valued his friendships. For him, you never say goodbye to a friend because you always plan to see them again.

"Thank you Katsushiro, and goodbye. Goodbye Yurushi," she turned away and began to plan her method of attack.

"Good luck Akane," he responded just as she leapt away into the trees.

Racing through the treetops she put distance between herself and her son. Yurushi may never know just how much she loved him, but as long as he was safe this was worth it. To lay down her life for her child is the duty of a mother, and for her it was a privilege to be able to express her love for him in such a way. She would not give in willingly though. Whoever it was that was chasing her would find a fight, and would have to prove they were her better. She would take no quarter tonight, and expected none in return. Death would meet someone in the woodlands she strode through, and if she had anything to say about it the creep with the sadistic smile and golden eyes would meet his maker. If this was to be her end, however, she wasn't going out alone.

* * *

"Uzumaki Yurushi," Katsushiro spoke absently to the sleeping child in his arms, "I guess it's going to be just the two of us for a while then."

He really wasn't sure what to think right now. There was too much to process, far too much to unravel, and he was far too tired to try right now. He felt the subtle vibrations of the earth shaking in his feet. It was likely created by a large explosion several kilometers away. He hoped and prayed that Akane would return later that night or the next morning. He couldn't play the role of a father. He didn't know the first thing about it. He never even had a figure in his life who modeled that role for him. There was no example he could follow, and no training manual for this. He realized that he had been pacing frantically on the outskirts in his camp.

The night was cold, and the blankets would only provide so much warmth for the baby. Under normal circumstances, he slept within sight of his camp but far enough away that he could get a good head start if the wrong people came looking for him. This child in his arms would need the added warmth of the fire, as well as his utmost attentions. All things considered, he had led a simple life up to this point. Life, it seems, was not so simple.

"What was she thinking?" He said out loud running a free hand through his long dark hair. "Why on earth would she leave you with me?"

He drew his cart closer to the flames and established an area where he could nestle the young boy in for the night so he wasn't rolling around in the cart or lying on the ground. It was makeshift to be sure, but it would do for now. He hoped that Akane would come back. He already felt like a complete idiot. The last thing that he said to the woman was 'Good luck,' and he instantly regretted not saying something more meaningful. He should have said something else, anything else. Now he may never get that chance. Clearly, he had not done right by their friendship. She had conceived, given birth, and started to raise a child without him even being aware. He would make up for that.

He wondered how little Yurushi could have slept peacefully through all that had been happening around him, but he didn't want to wake the boy. His sleep was likely the result of a genjutsu. An illusion Akane would have placed on him so nothing disturbed the infant as she fled for their lives. It would wear off in time. The child looked so peaceful, so innocent. To start life with such a tragic circumstance, it was harsh. This small boy would have a complicated life, and the older he got the more dangerous the world around him would become.

Katsushiro was road weary, but knew he would find little rest tonight. There was too much to think about. He had planned to bathe at a natural hot spring that he had found nearby during his previous travels, enjoy a light meal, and perhaps write a poem or two. It would have been a simple, yet relaxing way to end an evening. Life, it seems, enjoyed complicating things. This was evident, because what he received instead complicated all of the plans he had for the immediate future. Akane, a long-time friend, dropped back into his life, handed him a child, and left just as suddenly as she came.

Clearly Akane had been desperate. He had spent the better part of a year hiding from powerful enemies, and trying to make them forget he still existed. Now, it seemed, Akane had found powerful enemies of her own. Why had she not been with family to begin with? Perhaps it was a matter of loyalty. Maybe it was bad blood between family members. It could have simply been her own pride that kept her from seeking help. He kept himself scarce when it came to Akane. Many details about one another's lives were hidden, and this had been established for her protection. They both knew the danger Katsushiro lived in, and he did not want to see her harmed because of him.

He thought of her words. If they were after her for her heritage, then the prospect of acquiring an infant Uzumaki may appeal to someone with the patience and time to see a powerhouse develop. The sealing arts of the Uzumaki clan were feared throughout the world, and if the boy had a natural talent, or even half of his mother's skill, then he would become a legend in his own time. If she left him with family, then it would only draw unwanted attention to her surviving clan members. Those clan members would likely become the newest targets, and the boy would still be in danger. This may have been why family was avoided.

Leaving her child with him had its own share of risks, the most immediate being his own past. It was a past riddled with tragedy and danger. A host of people who wanted to kill him, and a good number of them were still actively searching. Yet, the past few years Katsushiro was a ghost. He interacted with few people, and disguised himself well. He had created an effective alias by which he could make his living, and keep on the move. He had ceased to exist to the rest of the world, and this would be to the child's benefit. None would find the boy because none could find Katsushiro.

He looked into the makeshift crib he created and lay Yurushi down in his bed. Akane had asked to look after him, and train him. He had been fretting over having to act as a father. Akane must have known his trepidation on that front. Having never known his own father, and having no real male role model left him feeling like he would be an inadequate parent. Perhaps she knew he felt this way, and perhaps that was why she never asked him to be a father to the boy. The job Akane had given him was not one of father, but of an instructor.

She wanted her son to be strong enough to protect himself from the eyes that hunted for him, and the shadows that stalked him. She wanted Katsushiro to teach him this power. While he was unsure he could be an effective father, there was no doubt in his mind that he could make the boy a great soldier. This boy would be well prepared for the dangers to come. Katsushiro would take him, tear him down, strip him of all unnecessary components, and sharpen him. He would hone Yurushi into a dangerous weapon set at the throats of those who would dare to harm whatever the boy deemed precious.

The boy would not be a boy for long. Katsushiro knew that as soon as he showed any amount of talent or skill then the training would begin. The boy would mature fast, out of necessity. The childishness of youth would have to be purged from him. The only casualty would be the child's innocence. There was no need to awaken the boy to the dark truths of the world just yet. No, he would let the child sleep until it became too dangerous to stay in his dreams.

Katsushiro lay down on his bed roll and settled in for what would likely be a long and restless night. He picked up the scroll that Akane had given him and tried to find comfort in the glow of the firelight. His hand toyed with the parchment in its possession. The dried paper carried something of great importance and he debated whether or not to read it now. He opened the scroll and studied its contents. Little of it made sense, but there were a few things that he knew were the tell-tale signs of fūinjutsu. Having not been very learned in the sealing arts, there was little he could gather from this supposed _key_, and so he rolled the scroll back up and placed it in the pack nearby. He reached for the instructions Akane had left for him.

He skimmed over the words written down, and found them to be fairly generic. As he got toward the end he saw some key words that interested him. A pit formed in the bottom of his stomach, and he couldn't believe what he was reading. Katsushiro could feel himself growing in ire, until his anger was beginning to boil over. Frustrated with himself, with Akane, with their circumstances, and frustrated with the paper he held in his hands. He had never imagined that this was the way things truly were. In retrospect in made plenty of sense, but it was still a startling revelation all the same. He held nothing against Akane for hiding the truth from him, and knew that her reasons were more than justified. It still did nothing to abate his rising anger. He stood up and returned to the cart were Yurushi now lay.

Looking down at the child he knew that this boy's life would be struggle for survival. If he found any peace, any joy, any semblance of normalcy it would be a miracle. There was a chance; a glimmer of hope still remained. The only hope this boy had was a family the resided in a village full of ninja. It would be a long and harrowing road. Yurushi would likely face his fair share of betrayals, or would possibly have to commit a few of his own. Katsushiro prayed that his distant family, which was blissfully unaware of his existence, would have the ability to help. Events around him were shaping in strange and terrible ways. After the Third Great Shinobi War Katsushiro had hoped things would stay quiet for a good long while. Life, it seems, would march on relentlessly.

"Get some rest Yurushi," Katsushiro instructed the infant as he stroked the top of his head. "We have a big day ahead of us, and you will need your strength."

* * *

A lone man stood atop a hill. His form was silhouetted by the light of the full moon, and that man's presence marked his destination. Bristling with a confidence that was evidenced in each stride he took. Long dark hair draped past his shoulders and swayed in the passing wind. A wide grin formed on his face as he remembered the entertainment he had been provided evening. He began to crest the hill and approached the man waiting for him to return. His features became more recognizable as the distance closed between them, the orange hair, the various piercings, and most notably the flat purple eyes that bore a pattern of concentric circles.

"Orochimaru," the man called out in the night. "I trust you succeeded."

"But of course. Did you expect anything less?" Orochimaru responded and he carelessly tossed the limp body of the woman whom he had been dragging by her hair. It was rather ungraceful the way her crumpled form lay lifeless at the man's feet. She had been a skilled opponent. Horribly out of practice, but her near inhuman stamina, quick wits, and natural talent made her quite the challenge. The chase through the woods and the various traps he encountered duing the effort to catch her solidified in his mind that she was worthy prey.

"Is she alive?" Questioned Orochimaru's leader. "She is of no use to me dead."

Leader was such a strong word though. It suggested that Orochimaru was following him blindly. It also suggested the possibility that this man was his superior. While Orochimaru was not eager to challenge the man in combat, it was not because he feared victory was impossible. He simply preferred to act with certainty, and if not absolute certainty then he wanted extensive knowledge of his opponent. The eyes of his leader bore into him, and tried to discern any hints of betrayal. Orochimaru would not give him the satisfaction though. "She is, but I fail to see why we needed to capture her alive. Whatever bounty that is on her head must be more than sufficient, dead _or_ alive," his words trailed off suggestively. He was trying draw out emotion from the man, but to no avail.

When emotions were flared tongues were loosened. Information was power, and Orochimaru knew his leader jealously guarded all of his secrets. Time was slowly revealing them though. One by one he was learning the secrets surrounding the man's eyes, past, and the organization they worked for. The goals of this organization were critical pieces of knowledge. This knowledge would determine when Orochimaru made his next move, and the nature of his departure from the group called Akatsuki. He did not want his plans hindered by this group, and needed contingencies in place for dealing with Akatsuki should their interests be conflicted.

"She is necessary, and more useful alive than dead," and again Orochimaru was stonewalled by the response. One did not become as powerful as he had become without being able to read between the lines of a person's words, actions, and circumstances. Piecing together facts and drawing them to their logical conclusions was far more reliable than a direct answer. Yet, the choice of his words piqued Orochimaru's interest.

This woman was necessary. No one bounty had been necessary before, and even so it was never the target but the money that was necessary. This mission was an anomaly from the beginning. Akatsuki had found a sort of niche in the international community as a group of incredibly skilled hunter ninja. They would perform other jobs as the need arose, but the bulk of their contracts were to hunt down ninja that had defected from the military that employed them. Ironic, since the largest secret Akatsuki held was that the entire organization was comprised of traitors and deserters. Yet this entire time, not a single bounty had been taken alive. It was too much of a risk to fight against highly skilled ninja without intent to kill. Yet, the order was to take this woman alive. Killing her was simply not an option.

"I find it interesting that you came all the way out here to oversee the operation," Orochimaru stated, playing coy all the while. "I am honored that you feel compelled to appraise my skills." The lie was designed to cause response, but the man stood as cold as ever. It was the second oddity about the mission. His leader never oversaw an operation in person, never.

"I wanted to give you your next assignment," the response came with an even tone. It was a lie to be sure, but one that would not be challenged. Orders only came in person if Orochimaru had been called in to headquarters, or if he had been there to complete an assignment. His leader was there to ensure that his prize was left unspoiled. Had Orochimaru killed the woman, his leader would have tried to end Orochimaru's life. He would have tried, not succeeded. This woman was central to Akatsuki's goals.

Orochimaru's gold eyes searched for any sort of tell on his superior, but could find nothing. The woman he had captured was undoubtedly an Uzumaki. Her red hair, her abnormally high chakra reserves, and the way she had been tossing fūinjutsu around their battlefield like candy in a parade left no doubt in Orochimaru's mind as to who she was. The Uzumaki, above all else, were feared for their knowledge of the sealing arts. If he needed this woman alive, then his leader needed something to be sealed. The question was what exactly.

"I wonder," Orochimaru started. His superior seemed intrigued, or as intrigued as a stoic can look. "The woman had a young child with her when I first encountered her. Finding the child again would be a simple matter. If you like I could go and collect him for you."

The answer to the offer would be telling. The Akatsuki leader had an abundance of patience, and if he needed a sealing technique immediately the child would be of no interest. If his need for a seal was a long term goal, then the child would be captured, raised, and trained into the perfect weapon. Children were perfect tools. They were so very trusting, so full of potential, and so malleable. A child was a blank canvas that needed only an artists' touch. With time, a child would grow into a loyal weapon that is both eager and willing to serve. It was an idea that corresponded so beautifully with Orochimaru's appreciation of youth and his desire to maintain his own.

"The child is of no consequence to me," the detached tone of voice portrayed an attitude of indifference and apathy. It was no different than any other response the man would give, but once again, Orochimaru was not fooled. The child was of no consequence because he needed the skills of a master, and he needed it quickly. There was simply no time to invest in the training of a child. This was a tragedy to be sure. If the mother was any indication, then the child would have a high potential. Hope remained. If his leader was not interested, then the child was fair game. Perhaps in a few years after the child has grown some Orochimaru would seek him out and collect a new recruit.

"Now, if I do recall," Orochimaru began. "You were going to give me my next assignment."

There was a hard stare from the orange haired man before him. There was always an angle to be played, and always a secret agenda in this game. Orochimaru was known as a snake, and a surprising few regarded him as such. His leader was no fool. This man understood Orochimaru's true nature quite well, and Orochimaru enjoyed the challenge. As long as his superior stayed focused on his movements, Orochimaru would be hard pressed for a perfectly clean break. The key would be to find a moment that both furthered his own goals, but made him seem to be harmless to the organization. It would be a challenge, but one well worth undertaking.

"This assignment is of the utmost importance to the Akatsuki," his leader stated handing a scroll off to the long haired ninja. Orochimaru took the scroll and glanced at its contents trying to display an attitude of indifference. Answers to long standing questions would soon present themselves. "The details are given in that scroll, but you are to infiltrate the diplomatic agencies of Kusagakure and use that as a front to spy on and gather information on all of the villages mentioned in the scroll. You will report in regular intervals as directed."

"I see, so you needed someone who could easily infiltrate the inner workings of the village and steal all of the secrets they have collected," Orochimaru concluded aloud. There was an interesting collection of villages that he was supposed to spy on. There was Konohagakure, Iwagakure, Kumogakure, Kirigakure, Sunagakure, and Takigakure. The five most powerful villages in the ninja world, and one minor village were all his targets. The connection between them was the key to Akatsuki's goals. "What sort of information were you looking for? Kusagakure's data on other nations is quite extensive. Their diplomatic efforts have resulted in one of the most effective network of spies in the world. If I knew exactly what I was looking for I could certainly have this mission done within a week."

He was fishing for more information, and would get nothing judging by the contemptuous scowl on the face of the man with strange eyes. "You will be thorough and collect all available information. I will personally contact you when your mission is completed. There can be no trace of your presence left behind. Kusagakure is a valuable asset to our efforts in collecting the finances we need, and as such you will receive no direct help from Akatsuki. Whatever contacts and agents you utilize will have to be your own. During this mission you can have no visible affiliation with Akatsuki, and the utmost discretion will be expected of you."

This was an opportunity that Orochimaru could not afford to pass up. Kusagakure was the perfect staging area to bring his organization to life. He had collected a few loose agents over the years, but he had to gather them slowly, and under the noses of the Akatsuki's leadership. This mission would allow him to collect followers at a much more rapid rate. Should any questions arise it would be easy to portray it all as a part of this mission. It would also shed light on the Akatsuki's end game. "Well, I had better get going. Infiltrating Kusagakure without drawing suspicion will take some time."

With only a nod of the head in recognition his leader heaved the body of the woman onto his shoulder. "Failure is not an option. Remember that well Orochimaru," and with his final warning stated the strange man disappeared into the night. Things were starting to develop in very interesting ways. Orochimaru couldn't help but wonder how the rest of the world would respond as his plans came to fruition.

"Very well Pein-_sama_," Orochimaru answered to his now absent leader with no shortage of derision in his voice. He began to move toward his destination, all the while mentally drafting plans to utilize and accomplish the mission at hand. The steps he took toward Kusagakure also brought him that much closer to realizing his own dreams.

"Soon, very soon," he said to no one with a chuckle. "Soon I will know the secrets of those eyes, and when I do you will not be able to stop me. Soon I will solve the mysteries of life and death, and when I do I shall be the master of both."

His eyes pierced the darkness before him, and time would tell if he could reach the vision of the future his eyes could see.

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**Well, that's chapter one. Let me know what you think. Stay tuned for more.**


	2. Enter, Uzumaki Yurushi!

**Alright, Chapter two is up. It will be a while before we get to the canon timeline. I need to set the stage a little bit more before I get there, but it won't be long before you start seeing some familiar faces on a regular basis. I just need to set the stage right now. Hope you enjoy.**

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**Chapter 2: Enter, Uzumaki Yurushi!**

"He who would learn to fly one day must first learn to stand and walk and run and climb and dance; one cannot fly into flying." - Friedrich Nietzsche

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Patience, he had to wait this time. Acting in haste again would only create sloppy work, and master hated sloppy work. Waiting was against his nature, but it was something he had to learn how to do. Sitting atop his heels his knees rested on the grass. He could feel the fabric of his clothes getting damp from contact with the morning dew. He noted his surroundings. It was a small glade in the woods where they had stopped the previous night. The cart was behind him and had been wheeled away, sitting it behind the long dead campfire. He would have to collect fire wood again in order to have a warm breakfast. That was unless Katsushiro-sensei planned on getting fresh fruit when he visited the marketplace later that morning.

Focus, he had to stay focused. Now was not the time for distractions. A gentle breeze tickled his face, and the branches of the trees in front of him shifted gently under an added weight. He closed his eyes and steadied his breath in order to still his mind. Expelling all worries and cares from his thoughts was becoming easier and easier. He focused on the familiar weight resting in his lap. The wakizashi he held in his hand had seemed a bit too long when he first received it, but he was slowly growing into the weapon. There was a smooth polish on the well-worn wood of the hilt and the scabbard. His first sword had a tsuba at the base of the blade, but this one held no such protection. His master said that he would have to learn to not be reliant on it. After all, not every sword had one and reliance on a guard could cost him his hand should muscle memory forget the design of the sword he wields.

He opened his eyes just as the breeze picked up again. He looked up into the trees where he knew his master was. This was the signal that he was ready to begin the exercise. Three leaves detached from their home and began their descent. Three leaves? That was one more than yesterday. He should not have been expecting just two. Paying attention to three leaves and timing everything perfectly would be hard, really hard. The breeze carried them closer to his position and in his head he began to calculate the rate they were falling against the speed they were travelling toward him. They would make it within range, but would they go further? The breeze was strong enough, but there was no guarantee it would hold.

Still, he would wait. Five meters away. Two were lined up well enough, but one was offset on the left side. It would take two movements, and as much as he wanted to make it all a single movement he couldn't visualize the strike. He shifted his weight to the balls of his feet, preparing to stand. He began to ease the sword from its sheath in anticipation. The question lingered in his mind. Should he let them pass in the hopes that a better angle of attack revealed itself or should he take the sure strike? The breeze was not dying down, but it could stop any time. The time to make a decision had passed, as the time to act was upon him.

In a flash he stood shifting the sword to the left side of his waist. Drawing the sword and striking at the first two leaves in a single motion. He winced, as a shift in the second leaf forced him to alter the angle of his initial strike ever so slightly leading the blade to strike true. With a practiced fluidity he turned his wrist and brought the edged metal to bear on the third leaf. Slicing deftly through it he quickly returned the blade to its home. He resumed sitting on the back of his legs just as though nothing had happened, and awaited his master's criticism.

Katsushiro-sensei was not a harsh man, but he had high expectations. His training was brutal, but far from abusive. From years of experience, he could definitively say that Katsushiro-sensei was a kind, gentle-hearted man, and possessed a wealth of knowledge. The man was not good at expressing himself, or at least didn't seem to be. Most moments they had little more than each other's presence and their own thoughts as company. Nearly all of their conversations began with asking a question of his master hoping for an answer. A good few started just like this one was about to. Katsushiro appeared before him, and the look in his master's emerald eyes bore slight disappointment.

"Yurushi," the strong voice of his Sensei flowed into his ears. It was comfort and it was heartache. This was the bittersweet of disappointing Katsushiro-sensei. There was always room for improvement, but the way his features are etched on his face shows that his expectations should have been met.

"Yes, Sensei," Yurushi's eyes closed as he simultaneously made a bow in respect to his master.

"You showed improvement," Katsushiro began. Yurushi held his excitement, but inside he was joyful because of the high praise he had just received from a man of few words. "Though, you have much still to learn."

"Yes Sensei," Yurushi acknowledged the call to better himself and strove to push harder in his training.

"You had the skill to complete this exercise with two movements, but you used three," his Sensei let the words linger as the gravity of their meaning sunk in. The slight shift to cut through the second leaf, naturally, counted as a movement. Yurushi had known that when he made the maneuver, but part of him had hoped against all hope that his master had not seen it. "Your precision is getting better, but far from where it needs to be."

"Yes Sensei," Yurushi said knowing he had to give a greater effort in being more precise with his movements. It was such a difficult thing, to act with the complete assurance that what you perceive happening is what will happen. Yurushi could not have known that the leaf would shift in such a way that it was no longer in line with his strike. He could have placed his sword in a better spot. There was no need to split the leaves perfectly in half, as he had been trying to do. Had he simply been trying to get a clean strike, then perhaps he would have succeeded in meeting his master's standards.

His master's long black hair flowed free. Usually he held it in a simple ponytail, and when he was going into town he wore it in a more traditional fashion. His caretaker was dressed in an outfit similar to his own which consisted of a simple white kimono and a navy blue hakama. His katana rested comfortably on his side, and was always ready for battle should the need arise. He had, apparently, elected not to shave this morning which meant that today would not include a trip to a nearby town.

"Recite the seven virtues for me," his master said as he turned to gather something from their trusty cart.

"Courage, rectitude, benevolence, respect, honesty, honor, and loyalty," Yurushi answered quickly having learned each of them by heart. He had begun to understand their importance over the years, and was only beginning to learn how they applied to everyday life. Many times, acting by the seven virtues seemed to feel completely contrary to his nature. At nearly eight years of age, Yurushi's immaturity did not allow him to feel natural being entirely respectful to certain people. There were times when righteousness gave way to mischievousness, all in the name of fun. Usually his master was the only victim, but the punishment was always greater than the crime.

"Very good Yurushi," his master responded as he set a log down on its end so it stood as tall as it could. It was only about five meters away and looked to be about a half meter thick. It was likely a type of softwood, but his master was using a piece of a tree rather than a bundle of bamboo and then decreased the distance from the last time he did this exercise. Today seemed to be a day where his master was testing his limits, and so Yurushi began to prepare for the possibility that it was a type of hardwood instead. No point in being caught off guard again. After all, this was not just a test of his strength, but how well he maintained his sword. Katsushiro-sensei always seemed to have a test within a test.

No words needed to be exchanged at this point. Yurushi knew the drill. This was another exercise to gauge how skilled he was in the practice of Iaidō. While not the only part of his training in the art of swordsmanship, Iaidō was the primary focus. He moved his wakizashi from its place on his lap to the ground in front of him. Bowing low before his blade he gave the respect that was due his weapon. Grabbing it once more Yurushi secured it within his obi and stood with his feet set wide, ready to sprint towards his target. His hand rested on the hilt of his sword with its sheathed edge pointed to the sky; he was ready.

It was sudden. Lightning speed for a boy his age, and the distance between him and the log was nearly cleared. He came within range in seconds and drew his sword. Yurushi released it from the scabbard in such a way that the keen edge was immediately met with the bark of the once proud piece of tree. As he passed the log the sharpened metal passed through, keeping with his momentum. As soon as he no longer felt resistance, Yurushi slowed to a stop. He resumed his kneeling position and drew his scabbard, standing it on the ground in front of him. He delicately placed the sword back in its sheath, and repeated the ritualistic practice of showing respect to his sword.

"Very good Yurushi," his master stated from behind his current position. Yurushi couldn't see Katsushiro, but he imagined his Sensei was examining the cut that he had made in the wood. Iaidō may not be aggressive in its philosophy, but his master had stated that he may find a time where wisdom lay in making the first attack. It was always better to be prepared for any eventuality. That was his master's mantra, and it had apparently served him quite well during the days he was a samurai.

"Thank you Katsushiro-sensei," the boy responded as he turned to see what his master was doing. The bangs of his dark hair obstructed his view and he blew the loose strands out of the way.

"Your hair will need cutting soon," his master said without even turning from his task. The man had taken to gathering supplies from his cart, and Yurushi grew curious.

"Sensei, what are you doing?" Yurushi asked. The boy's curiosity had been one of the few childlike mannerisms that not only survived, but was nurtured by his caretaker. The man always had an answer for his questions, and never hesitated to indulge the boy's quest for knowledge. What few adults Yurushi had come across in their travels did not take too kindly to his near interrogative approach to satiating his curiosity. Katsushiro had great patience, and impressed the need for such with his student in both word and deed.

"I am making preparations for the next stage in your training," he responded. _Next stage_? As far as Yurushi knew, there were no _stages_ to the various types of Kenjutsu he was learning. Iaidō was a specialized branch of his Kendō training. While it did encompass more than the katas and movements, it didn't have stages that he had ever heard of. Yet his master had been a samurai for many years, and if he said that his training had stages, then his training had stages. Katsushir-sensei unfurled several scrolls in the area encircling Yurushi within the strips of blank paper.

With a brush in one hand and a container of ink in the other his master set about whatever work that he had tasked for himself. Yurushi was beyond confused. He had no idea why his Sensei seemed to be painting strange patterns and characters on the canvas all around him. Slowly, Katushiro was drawing on the ground and Yurushi found himself encircled by the elegant arrangements that littered the earth.

"Lie down and remove your shirt," His master instructed without removing his eyes from his work. Again, a curious request, but his curiosity did not hinder his obedience. Yurushi removed his arms from the sleeves of his kimono and the fabric fell free from his body down to where his obi was tied around his waist. He continued to lie down on the ground. His desire to know was eating away all of the other thoughts he had.

"Sensei, what are you doing?" He asked, his inquisitive nature finally winning out.

"I am drawing a seal that will help you in your training," Katsushiro answered as he began checking over the work he had completed thus far. Yurushi watched his master circle around him staring thoughtfully at the ground.

"A seal," the boy repeated with a degree of confusion in his voice and on his face.

"Fūinjutsu is an art that allows someone to place something inside of something else, thereby sealing it away for later use. You can also unseal something that has been locked away. It is a delicate and precise art that is based heavily upon chakra theory," the man answered the unasked question as he knelt by Yurushi's side with his ink, brush, and a bowl full of water. Yurushi always appreciated how his sensei answered his questions as thoroughly as possible, but his answers usually brought more questions.

"Chakra? Isn't that the stuff that ninja use for all of their techniques?" He had thought that only ninja used chakra. If his thought were true then he had no earthly idea how his Sensei, a samurai, was able to use it.

"Don't move," his master commanded as he dipped the brush into the inkwell. "Chakra is the balanced combination of physical and spiritual energies, and it is used by all living things. Even though we are not ninja we still use chakra," the man explained as he began to paint strange patterns on the chest of the child. The feel of the brush against bare skin and the coolness of the ink had begun to tickle Yurushi.

"Then is fūinjutsu a samurai skill or a ninja one?" He couldn't recall any tales of master samurai who were renowned for their skill in the sealing arts, but that didn't mean there weren't any.

"It is a skill used primarily by ninja," Katsushiro answered focusing on his work. "However, a samurai can learn the way of the shinobi just as the ninja can learn the way of the samurai. This is a technique I learned during my travels."

"Did a ninja teach it to you?" Yurushi could not help his thirst for knowledge. The prospect of learning something new, especially when it was about his master, was always an exciting thing. He briefly tried to envision Katsushiro in some hybrid garb of both professions. Long hair bound, sections of armor covering chest, shins, shoulders, and pieces of dark form fitting fabric, and a hitai-ate proudly worn on his brow. Katsuhiro looked awesome, but the boy abandoned the idea when his master replied.

"I actually learned the technique from a very dear friend of mine. She had thought that it would help me develop a quicker mastery of Iaidō, but I never used it much. I wanted to learn by the traditional methods," he answered. Yurushi could almost believe he saw a small smile form on the face of his overseer, but it was gone just as soon as he saw it, so he wasn't sure if it was there at all.

"Who was she?" If this woman had been a good friend it was strange that Yurushi had yet to meet her in the near eight years of his life. It was possible that she lived in one of the villages that they regularly stopped at. Yurushi never went into town much. It was also possible that she had passed on. Master always said that ninja typically live a much shorter life than samurai. He had said that it was a punishment from Kami for all of the grievous sins they commit, but it could also be because that they often fought with no honor. Striking from the shadows when the enemy is unaware, the thought sickened Yurushi.

"She was your mother," his master responded quietly. Mother? He had never known his mother. He knew he had to have had one at some point, but she was never present. Frankly, it was only last year when he had even questioned the absence of a mother. He and his Sensei had passed through a small village. It was the last time he had actually gone into town with his Sensei. While his Sensei had been selling his wares, Yurushi made a friend. He was a kind and adventurous boy, Shin was his name he thought, and they explored the river's edge nearby the marketplace. They were having fun skipping stones until Shin's mother came, hunting down his newfound friend with Katsushiro close behind. After that he had wondered where his mother was, but he held his curiosity in check. Shin didn't seem to have a father and he didn't seem to have a mother, and Yurushi just concluded that was just the way life worked.

"What was she like?" Yurushi had never thought much about the subject since that day with Shin, but now that it was broached he was going to get answers to long withheld questions.

"Her name was Uzumaki Akane. She was a powerful kunoichi and a wonderful friend. She was quite skilled in the fūinjutsu of her clan, and made herself a target for several people because of her skill. She would often travel from place to place to keep her enemies away from her, but shortly after your birth they discovered her while in hiding. She left you in my care until such a time when she could return, but that was over seven years ago. I fear that she was killed," Katsushiro answered as he set the brush and ink aside. He began to examine his work.

"Would she be proud of me becoming a samurai instead of being a ninja like her?" He had never thought he would want his mother's approval until he realized that he had a mother.

"She would be proud of you if you were learning to become a farmer so long as you were happy and giving your best," his master answered quickly. He seemed satisfied with his work and grabbed the container full of water.

"After I become a master of Iaidō are you going to teach me ninja techniques?" It was strange to suddenly want to learn about becoming a ninja. He had met ninja before but was not impressed. Well, not impressed with the younger ones. The older one, whom Sensei had informed him was a jōnin elite, was downright scary. The four shinobi had been on a mission around the border of Tsuchi no Kuni, and one of the three teens had grown impatient and thought that Yurushi and his master were the bandits they were charged to defeat. He was proven wrong quite painfully. Katsushiro-sensei defeated him soundly and had the poor boy completely at his mercy. The burly jōnin stood by and watched, but once the victor was made clear he warned Katsushiro that the boy was to be left unspoiled.

That moment had been where Yurushi saw a glimpse of the difference between a genin and a jōnin. Yurushi never felt anything like it before in his life. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end, the air became thick around him, and he felt the cold chill of death looming over him. It was different than fear. He had been forced to fight a starving wolf in the wild, and the beast exuded a similar aura. That aura evoked fear. This was vastly different. What Yurushi had felt from the jōnin was focused, honed in on his master, and the moment seemed to last forever. Even though the sensation did not seem to have him as a target it still caused him to recall his breakfast from earlier that morning. He had felt embarrassed, and pitifully weak willed. His master said that it was a sort of technique ninja typically used, and it was simply known as Killing Intent.

"Don't get ahead of yourself boy," his master said sternly, "it takes years of constant training to become proficient in the practice of Iaidō. If, by the age of fifteen, you could survive combat with the captains of Tetsu no Kuni I would consider you to be a prodigy."

His master's hands became a flurry of activity. The fingers were weaving in and out of each other. Entwining, bending, shifting, moving, and all in strange ways the boy had never seen before. There seemed to be a pattern to it, but Yurushi couldn't see his master's hands well enough to tell. Suddenly the intricate dance his hands had been engaged in stopped. "Take a deep breath," his master said quickly.

Just as Yurushi inhaled he was engulfed in water. It covered him entirely almost as a second skin, or a thick winter coat. His master was sitting there doing something, but what it was he couldn't tell. The water was still too disturbed by the recent movement to see properly. He began to feel as though he could not hold his breath any longer, and he hoped Katsushiro would be done soon. A hand pushed through the surface of the water that coated him and pressed against the center of the design on his chest. The water began to recede to that point bringing with it all of the patterns and characters that had been painted on him and the ground.

Then it was over and he lay on the ground as though nothing had happened. He lifted his head to get a look at the seal that his master had finished placing on him, but found moving was a lot more difficult than it had been before. As he began to sit up he noticed that he felt as though he was swimming through the air. Muscles found some form of invisible resistance with each shift of his body.

"The seal makes your body feel as though you were moving through stagnant water. Its design is an adaptable one, and its power can be increased or decreased. In time I will teach you how to utilize the seal. Meanwhile, we will scale back your training until you have learned to move as though there was no resistance. Until then I will begin to teach you of history, philosophy, and poetry," his Sensei stated matter-of-factly.

"Will you teach me ninja techniques also?" Yurushi had actually become eager to learn the thing that made his absent mother so powerful. There was no explanation for it in his mind other than it was his mother, and he wanted to feel some sort of connection to her since he could not know her personally.

"In time," Katsushiro responded, "I will teach you what I can with my limited knowledge on the subject. Have you read the poetry I gave you to read?"

"Yes Sensei I have," Yurushi answered.

"Good," Katsushiro stated as he handed Yurushi a blank scroll along with an inkwell and brush. "I will be giving you your first history lesson of the day, and I want you to write a haiku reflecting what you have learned from the lesson."

"Yes Sensei," Yurushi was excited about trying his hand at poetry. His master's work was really good, even though he didn't understand all of it. The haiku was a simple poem that focused on sounds to establish a rhythm, and references to nature or other forms of symbolism to establish the artists' meaning. The trick was to try to set the stage and let the reader fill in the rest for themselves. Never telling the whole story, but giving just enough information to make a meaningful and resonant response. It was a beautiful art form, and Yurushi was growing anxious to give it a try for himself.

"In the days of old, mankind was in a state of turmoil and conflict. Nations, clans, villages, and factions were warring with one another. There was no lasting unity among men, and all was chaos. A day came when a monk had discovered what none believed possible. This monk found total harmony within himself and the world around him. His teachings spread and became known as Ninshū. This monk was who we now know as the Rikudō Sennin, and he is the father of all Ninjutsu. The Sage was a man of great influence and power who forever changed this world in his attempt to bring it to peace. His teachings were derived from his meditations on achieving harmony. When he discovered total harmony he discovered the key to utilizing chakra. It is unclear if he was the first capable of molding chakra or merely the first to accomplish the feat, but his achievement was the cornerstone upon which our lives were built. To find the balance between heart, mind, body and soul, and be at peace within one's own being: this is the core teaching of Ninshū. Many of his followers were able to achieve this feat, and several were able to utilize chakra. The Way of the Shinobi was established in order to help those who could not help themselves. Endurance of spirit and will, and self-sacrifice of body and soul were the trademarks of the shinobi. These teachings unified several warring families and sects who were vying for resources and influence," Katsushiro-sensei instructed. Yurushi had never heard the man speak on one thing for so long, and secretly hoped that he would lecture more often. The man's words were a wealth of knowledge, and Yurushi wanted to soak it all in. Setting the bush to paper, Yurushi wrote.

_A budding flower_

"Banditry and violence still reigned in spite of the efforts of the Sennin," his master continued to elaborate as Yurushi began to write down the characters of the poem slowly forming in his head. "The disciples of the Sage were too few to enact the changes necessary to prevent the growing threats that faced the nations. Wealthy land owners pooled their resources and trained the strongest of men and the greatest of swordsmen to defend those inside their borders. Armies were formed and wars broke out to establish the limits of the land these great lords could control. A disciple of the Rikudō Sennin sought to take the teachings of his Sensei and apply them to the warrior's life. His hope was to bring peace and harmony to the hearts of those who knew only war. He began spreading his master's teachings among the warriors he encountered and gathered a following of his own. They trained together, honing their skills with the blade. They meditated and discussed their philosophies and the Sage's teachings. Soon the disciple of the Sennin was able to extend the harmony he found in himself outward. He was able to project his own inner harmony into his blade and gave birth to Bushidō. To be in harmony with oneself and remain at peace during turmoil, and only drawing your sword as a last resort: this is the Way of the Warrior. Many of his followers embraced the tenants and rules that were established to ensure that violence was not begotten needlessly. There are few differences between the teachings of Ninshū and Bushidō, but Bushidō has a great emphasis on its code. The entire purpose of the rules was to guarantee that the seven virtues were upheld, and these rules were strictly enforced to ensure that those who followed the Way of the Warrior would not abuse the power they gained. Feudal Lords began to employ many of the practitioners of Bushidō, and the Samurai was born. Shinobi and Samurai held differing philosophies but a common bond in the Rikudō Sennin, and as such there was a peace between them. The Shinobi were still creating their clans, and the Samurai were helping to establish the nations, and their combined efforts were bringing the world of men closer to peace."

Yurushi could think of nothing new for the poem that he had begun, but another one was brewing in his head. He was enjoying a newfound outlet for his creativity, and it seemed that his artistic side was overflowing with ideas and endless possibilities. Still, his assignment was to write a poem based on what he was being taught and so he tried to pay close attention to what his Sensei was saying. He couldn't help but feel his thoughts drifting toward his mother. He wondered what she looked like, if she had a kind smile for him when he was born, and if she cried when they had to be separated. There were so many questions he had, but it seemed as if Katsushiro did not want to be upfront with answers. Many of the questions Yurushi had were things that only his mother could answer. He remembered that his master had said that he believed his mother had died, but that did not mean this was the truth. Katsushiro-sensei was had never lied to him, and was always upfront, but not all questions were answered directly. He determined that he would do whatever it took to meet her if the opportunity arose.

"Great strides were made toward peace, but it was not to be. A plague was set upon mankind by Kami-sama. A demon of the old world returned to destroy the world of men. The Sennin had well established himself as both wise and powerful, and he was approached with pleas to end the demon's scourge. He stood against the demon in mortal combat with the fate of mankind hanging in the balance. The Sennin, having achieved harmony with himself and the world around him, tapped into a power none had seen before. The Rikudō Sennin used the power of nature and combined it with the practice of the ancient mystics sealing tags to contain the beast within his own body. He was able to lock the beast away and in doing so saved mankind from the wrath of Kami-sama. Yet, a threat remained. The Sennin informed his followers that the beast would return upon his death. He set out on a pilgrimage to learn how to end the threat of the demon's return. On his journey he lived his life, was wed, had children, spread his teachings, and helped those in need. It is well known that his goal was to see peace spread throughout the world, and he realized that his goal would not be achieved in his lifetime. The demon would need to be dealt with, but his only solution was not a permanent one. He left his quest for peace in the hands of his younger son, and split the power of the demon into nine parts. These parts are known as the Bijū, and are identified by the number of tails they possess. Being disjoined from a single will, the Bijū were less of a threat than they were unified. The danger they possessed was still great. The desire for peace was also threatened by members of the Sennin's own house."

_Smell the approaching storm_

"The Sage's elder son became jealous of the second and struck out against his brother. The fight they began created a rift between the two, and ultimately led to the birth of the Senju and Uchiha shinobi clans. Their feud was the first of many between the followers of Ninshū. As the years bore on other clans of shinobi were established. The cycle of war was continued as these clans fought amongst themselves for power. This power was found in the techniques developed through the Sennin's teachings, and the power found in the blood of certain clans. The samurai became no different than their counter part. Feudal Lords waged war amongst each other and would contend against shinobi clans to establish themselves as dominant in their regions. In an effort to achieve peace the samurai of one nation reached out to a shinobi clan to restore the core philosophies which had guided them in the ages past. Much was shared between them, and their combined efforts uncovered new knowledge that was locked within the teachings of the Sennin. Ultimately this new knowledge would be a source of great power. Where the samurai saw a chance for peace, the shinobi saw a tool for war. The shinobi clan betrayed the samurai, stealing the secrets that were uncovered, and silencing the samurai who would have opposed them. After this many samurai became insular. They withdrew from the world at large and became travelling swordsmen who would help the less fortunate as they saw fit. Some remained in the service of a Feudal Lord, and the few nobles who had the skill of samurai in their armies quickly established themselves as Daimyō and absolute rulers of their land. Shinobi continued chasing power where they saw it, and the Daimyō saw fit to use the power of the ninja clans to do their bidding. The clans fought for the highest bidder, and used those funds to fuel their efforts to tame the tailed beasts. The Bijū struggled against mankind, but time would show that mankind was greater than these pieces of the whole. The only clans who were successful in the capture of the Bijū were the clans that were direct descendants of the Rikudō Sennin. The leader of the Senju had captured all but one of the Bijū. The Uchiha clan was in control of the most powerful of the demons, and their fight for supremacy ended in a peace treaty."

The last line was one of the hardest to write. The notion of ending a poem in such a way that it elicits emotions in the reader allowing them to complete the haiku in their own mind was tricky to say the least. It was like leaving a painting unfinished intentionally so that the viewer could finish it in their imagination, but would still be satisfied with the outcome. It was an ending with no true ending. Yurushi set his brush to the paper to write down the last line as his master continued the story.

"Their peace drew the attention of many other shinobi clans, and several joined Senju Hashirama in his quest for peace. A village, the first shinobi village, was born of the peace between the Senju and the Uchiha. The Daimyō of Hi no Kuni mediated the peace treaty, and approved of the idea to construct a ninja village. The village was named Konohagakure, in reference to the thick and wild forest that surrounded the village. In exchange for the funds needed to start and maintain the village, the leaders swore to serve the Daimyō's interests and protect the lands he ruled. This became the template for the hidden village system that was soon adopted by other nations and their Diamyō. The leaders of the five most powerful and influential hidden villages were known as Kage. After his village was established the first Hokage, Senju Hashirama, made another bid for peace by using the tailed beasts he had captured as bargaining chips. His thought was that the power of the Bijū would serve as a deterrent to war. By giving these demons to the other villages he was able to purchase a time of peace. That time of peace was only decades though, and the world erupted into war once again. Each attempt to create lasting peace only delayed the cycle of war. Why is it, Yurushi, that none have succeeded in finding an answer to the problem of peace?"

Yurushi was trying to put the final touches on the poem he had written when he was put on the spot by his master's sudden question. The Sennin had attempted to create peace, and had no doubt found a method of achieving it, but did not have the time to implement it. Time, however, waits for no man and the death of the Rikudō Sennin ended his quest for lasting peace. The samurai tried to unite with the shinobi, but all the ninja wanted was power. The Senju and the Uchiha created a peace between themselves and several other clans, but others made their own alliances in response. Likely, the rest of the clans felt threatened by an alliance between the two clans that held the Bijū. The first Hokage gave the tailed beasts out, but they were used as weapons instead of a safeguard. Power was coveted, feared, and used. It seemed that the heart of man was bent on using power when power was within its grasp, and only one had ever tried to find an answer to the real problem. "Is it because nobody knew what caused the cycle of war?"

"Very insightful," his master responded with a pleased look on his face. Yurushi felt good knowing his teacher believed he was doing well. He wanted to make his Sensei proud. "There are few who still seek the answer to the problem of peace, and fewer still who believe it is possible to find a solution. Some say that the true problem is hatred, some say lust for power, and others say that the frailty of life is to blame. The consensus is that the source of the problem lies within the heart. Had the Sennin left any lasting clues or final teachings on the matter, then we may have a better understanding of things. He left nothing behind save for the legacy now found in the Uchiha and Senju clans. One thing was certain, the Rikudō Sennin had an answer for lasting peace, and he left it to his children to implement his plan. His children failed to follow through. Peace is still waiting for us, and it is up to us to discover it for ourselves."

_Hope's blossom awaits_

Yurushi scribbled down the last line of his poem with all the haste he could muster. His master never said when he wanted to see the poem, but he assumed it would be reviewed sometime after his lecture was over. The look on his Katsushiro-sensei's face was one of withdrawn anticipation, and frankly that was the closest thing to excitement Yurushi had ever seen him display. Once he felt confident in his work, Yurushi handed the scroll to his master and waited patiently to see his response. He hoped that he did well. It seemed difficult to judge how talented someone really was because everyone has their own tastes. His master had a smirk on his face and nodded in affirmation, and if Katsushiro-sensei said it was good, then that was enough for him.

"We will discuss more in depth topics of history, philosophy, and other things at a later time. I felt this was a good place to start," his Sensei said as he gathered their things into the cart, and bid Yurushi to prepare for departure. It was still difficult to move as fast as he wanted to. His body was aching all over with the added stress of his newly minted training seal. Still the thought of this pain yielding benefits made the constant soreness of his muscles an acceptable price to pay. They began walking down the road at a much slower pace than usual, likely to compensate for Yurushi's newfound lack of haste.

"Where are we headed to Sensei?" Yurushi asked habitually as they paced themselves down the road to an unknown destination.

"There is a town nearby where I can purchase some materials I need," Katsuhiro answered also from habit. He never answered that question directly. He only ever stated they were going to a nearby town followed by their purpose for going there. "It should take us two or three days to get there though."

Yurushi frowned. He was slowing his Sensei down. He would have to get used to his training seal as quickly as he could so he wouldn't be a burden. "There is no need to feel upset," his master said without turning around as if he knew what Yurushi was thinking. "I had already accounted for increased travel time."

As they walked side by side, the comfortable silence settled in. Katsushiro was not much for words. In fact, his lecture was the most Yurushi could remember the somewhat imposing man ever saying at one given time. If there was a question Yurushi would ask and Sensei would answer, but few discussions or in depth conversations took place. It was time on the open road, when the silence reigned over them that Yurushi spent letting his mind wander. Yet, the only thing on his mind was his mother.

_Desperate cold night_

_Softly the breeze is crying_

_Mother's bitter tears_

The words of the poem he wrote for her was what his thoughts kept returning to. The idea that she may be alive was fleeting at best, but there was still hope. Nothing real, no promises or false illusions were given. All that was there was the slim chance that something happened so that she still lived. If the opportunity ever arose where he could discover his mother's fate, Yurushi was going to take it. Dead or alive, Yurushi swore to find her if he had the chance.

'_If you are out there somewhere I will find you, and we can be a family again,_' Yurushi thought to himself as he walked down another empty road with his Sensei on right side and his blade on his left.

* * *

**That's all for now. Keep tuned for Chapter 3 coming up next. Until then, let me know what you think.**


	3. Finding Family

**Chapter 3: Finding Family**

"An ounce of blood is worth more than a pound of friendship." - Spanish Proverb

* * *

It was a beautiful morning, and the sounds of metal scraping against stone filled the air. There was an irregular rhythm to it, and it could have driven almost anyone mad. Still, sword maintenance needed to be done. He depended on his sword, and if the blade was not in pristine condition then his life could prematurely end. To Yurushi, this routine was as second nature as breathing. He was still moving slower than he wanted to, but it was to be expected. The difference between the base power of the seal, and the increase in strength his master gave was noticeable. He had just gotten used to what he was dubbing level two of his training seal when his master stated that he would need to learn how to make use of his increased speed and precision in battle.

The process involved getting used to level one to the point that there was no resistance at all. That took a whole six months of training. Level two of the seal was exponentially more difficult and it took him well over a year to adapt to it. Now, after sixteen months since level two seal training began, his master adopted a new training method. Returning down to level one to test out and train with his increased speed, and then going back to level two at the end. His pain was redoubled, and he hated life the next morning. Still the difference in his movement speed and precision was beyond incredible. It took him about five minutes to adjust to his increased speed, but once he felt comfortable that he wouldn't hurt himself Yurushi discovered just how advanced he was for his age.

The heat of summer was beginning to wane a little, as autumn was beginning to show its colors. His master had noted that the climate in this country stayed rather temperate year round, but on rare occasion the winter season was harsh. Hi no Kuni was a country that his master avoided as much as possible, but there were a few wares that he needed to purchase which could only be found inside the expansive borders of the land. A special type of wood that Katsushiro-sensei believed made the best scabbards money could buy. Either way, Yurushi rarely went to town with his master. His teacher would usually give him an assignment or training exercise to accomplish by the time he returned.

With a keen eye and careful inspection of his wakizashi he tried to find any signs of the blade's weakness. The samurai's Chakra Sabre technique was difficult, but he was beginning to get the hang of the basics. His master was far better at using it though. Sensei was able to project his chakra, allowing the mystical energy to encompass the blade. From there he could double the length of his sword's effective range, change the shape of the chakra that surrounded it, or even unleash it upon a distant target. Yurushi was only able to project his own chakra into his sword, and could not complete the base technique on his own yet. Still, the skill he acquired served the great purpose of preserving the integrity of his sword's construction. His master said this technique is learned as a rite of passage for a Samurai so that they do not have to deal with a broken sword in battle. Without this ability, even the best made katana might not survive true combat.

Gliding his left hand along the smooth surface of the metal, Yurushi found the blade to his liking. Sword sheathed, he saw something strange on his hand. He hadn't even noticed the cut that now bled freely from his open palm. The plasma flowed as a brook, running gently along every fold of skin. His hand now served to guide the red river as it marched, carving out its path looking to find its final home. It was just like that night. His hands would never be clean now.

Reaching for his canteen, Yurushi used the water inside to wash away the blood that had begun to pool in his palm. The cool wet sensation did little to heal the injury, but it wiped away the emotions that were already resurfacing in the back of his mind. They would return. Just as the blood would return until the wound scabbed over. Nothing would be the same again. Even the scar that formed would be a reminder. The boy rose and searched through the supplies left behind in his master's cart. A discarded cloth would serve as a bandage well enough. Tying the fabric around his hand, he did his best to forget.

He had a job to do. His Sensei gave him a task. This injury would be no excuse, and neither would the lack of time wasted treating it. His Sensei's expectations and training were all that mattered right now. Everything else could wait until later. He set off to accomplish the task left for him vowing to deal with the issues floating up into his conscious thoughts. Yurushi swore to deal with them some other time; knowing that he would try to never touch them again.

* * *

The village square was calm, but busy. People moved from stand to stand buying and selling that which they needed for daily life. It was a small village, but it prospered with the success of the lumber mill that was started there. Katsushiro was not used to being noticed during his trips to town. Over the past two decades, his life depended on him keeping a low profile. More recently, the life of his young charge was also dependent on his ability to blend in with the crowd. Now people recognized that he was out of place.

He was not a true stranger to this town. His alias had been well received by its citizens in the past, but he also did not go out of his way to make friends with any of the populace. This town was a hotspot for information. He did not lie to his young disciple when he told them they had the highest quality lumber he could find, but that was a convenient cover. This was a border village, and was very well patrolled by the shinobi of Konohagakure. Due to the constant changing of the guard, many of the shopkeepers and blacksmiths were somewhat well versed in the gossip coming out of the hidden village of Hi no Kuni. Today, however, they were silent.

There was a hard stare toward him coming from a kind woman who had sold him rice during his last stay. She always bore a gentle smile in the past, but now there was distrust in her eyes. Several other vendors treated him with trepidation, as if he would lash out at them at a moments' notice. Granted, it had been nearly two years since he had last paid a visit so unfamiliarity was to be expected, but this was different. It was quite obvious that something happened during that time away, but the question of what exactly had occurred lingered in the air.

The store was well marked, and a welcome sight as Katsushiro navigated through a crowd whose eyes honed in on him. A bell rang when he opened the door, and was greeted by smells of freshly cut wood. The pines, elms, and maples were strong and the visions of industry and growth were blended with that of a woodland home in his olfactory triggered memories. It was the smell of safety. It was the safety that was provided by a home and bought by the sword. His daydreaming was cut short by a hurried greeting that was likely directed at him.

"Ah, welcome back Kambei-sama," the man stated excitedly. He was a shrewd business man, but he was honest and had an eye for good quality. "I had to sell the original order I had reserved for you, but I just acquired a new shipment last night. I shall fetch the finest lumber I have in order to make it up to you."

"There is no need for such formalities Daichi-san. The usual order is enough," Katsushiro, or rather _Kambei_, answered as the slightly portly man disappeared into his store room. He didn't care much for the exaggerated formality Daichi gave him, but it was out of respect so he allowed it. He also didn't feel like protesting it after the first argument they had on the subject. If people deem you to be worthy of honor they will give it to you whether you want it or not. Besides, it was _Kambei_ who was being honored and not truly himself.

The man returned with the desired product in his arms. Inspecting his purchase, Katsushiro noticed the pattern of the grain and the evenness of the cut. The wood was naturally tensile, but it was remarkably sturdy. Once it was carved and then painted or polished it was easy to maintain. While a scabbard made of this wood would not hold up as a guard against another katana, there was another property that made it quite valuable. The species of tree that the wood came from was one of the few that allowed for an easy use of chakra flow techniques. Metal can be forged in ways that allowed for chakra to be channeled through it, but for it to occur in living organic matter was a rarity. Things blessed with life in any form had a tendency to resist chakra not its own, as the theory goes.

"As usual Daichi-san, you have only the finest," Katsushiro admitted warmly.

"Well, that is my lifelong reputation and I would be remiss not to uphold it," the portly man said smugly as he began to package the materials for sale and ease of transport.

"I have noticed that the people around here have been somewhat less approachable than I remember them being. Did something happen to cause this?" Katsushiro asked knowing that it was best to be direct with Daichi. A businessman of Daichi's caliber has no time to waste with indirect speech.

"It was no major event or catastrophe if that is what you were thinking," Daichi responded. "Recently there has been an increase in the patrols in this area. Strange people show up and that puts the ninja on edge, which then puts the townspeople on edge. So, some of that may just be the general distrust of a stranger."

"But that isn't the whole story is it?" Katsushiro asked knowingly. Of course it wasn't the whole story. Even a few of the regular shinobi patrolling this village knew his face and recognized the name Kambei.

"No. I am afraid that the reputation that you had established here may have been called into question Kambei-sama," Daichi confirmed with a frown.

"Is that so," Katsushiro answered. This was disturbing. Had his absence really made the people he had established a good rapport with begin to distrust him? No, that wouldn't make sense given the kindhearted nature of the people here. Something specific would have had to take place for people to call his character into question. Did they find out that he had been lying to them about who he was? No, _Kambei_ may as well be a real person with an established identity and a traceable history. All physical resemblance to Katsushiro is painstakingly hidden when trips into town are made. The number of people alive who could make the connections could be counted on one hand. None of them lived anywhere near here.

"Indeed," Daichi started to drawl as if he were nervous about the subject. "It was nearly five months ago that a man came looking for you by name. This was nothing too strange, as I have gotten several referrals for your wears. This man was strange though. He had fearsome, unnatural eyes. I honestly thought he was going to eat me with the way he licked his lips."

"Who was this man?" Katsushiro tried to not sound disturbed.

"I never bothered to ask for his name, and he wasn't too concerned when I told him that I believed you were dead because you missed picking up your shipment by over 7 months. He simply said that he may return looking for you," the large man elaborated.

"What did he want me for?" The former samurai asked. He was trying to stay calm, but if he could figure out who was looking for him then it would ease his mind from the fear of being discovered.

The man stroked the tip of his fingers against his chin in recollection. "If I remember correctly he was looking for something that an old friend of yours had left with you. He said that he was hoping that you could return it to him, but never said what it was."

"What were his defining features?" Katsushiro was hiding the fear steadily growing inside of him. Had they found him? Perhaps, but if they were following the trail that Kambei had left then they were at least a year behind him. Still, one fact weight heavily on his mind: someone had connected the dots and was hunting him down. There was only one person who would be interested in killing him, but it didn't sound like they were after him.

"He had long black hair and I swear that his eyes seemed to be a rich gold color, or something resembling honey, but I'm not sure. His face was hidden fairly well. Also, he was an uncommonly tall man. The most interesting thing about him was the cloak he wore. It was black, and adorned with red clouds, but that is all that I can be sure of," the man stated.

"I see," Katsushiro was making the short list of suspects. The issue being that the membership had drastically changed over the years. At least it wasn't the man that he had feared, but that fact alone didn't help much. In this case, the unknown was much more terrifying. "Was there anything else?"

"Nothing else from that man, but what happened about a month after he left made people really call you into question," Daichi started. "You see after that man left Jiraiya-sama came into town looking for any information about the man who had been looking for you."

"Jiraiya of the Sannin?" Katsushiro was nothing but curious. Was Jiraiya looking for information on Akatsuki? No, Akatsuki was a small group. Big names perhaps, but it is a small group. They wouldn't be worth Jiraiya's time or energy. Not yet at least. The man was a notorious womanizer, author, ninja, but the only information that he seemed to have an ear for was information about the other two legendary ninja he had once called teammates. It is possible that he had heard of Akatsuki, but from all Katsushiro could tell there was no reason Jiraiya should have an interest in them. Perhaps the legendary ninja just wanted to be a step ahead and grab any available intel on the group, just in case.

"Indeed," Daichi confirmed. "With a strange and shady character looking for you and then Jiraiya-sama looking for him, many people around here came to the conclusion that you kept the sort of company that causes problems. People around here don't like taking chances on people who could cause trouble. The Konoha shinobi cause us enough grief, and many of us don't appreciate any more of it."

"Then why did you accept my business Diachi-san?" Katsushiro was fairly curious. The large man sounded aggravated, as if Katsushiro had done something wrong against him. With Akatsuki on his trail Katsushiro had to make sure that he kept the few allies he had left. At the very least he had to make sure that Diachi would not sell him out. One way or another, the man would have to stay silent. Whether or not that silence was voluntary would be entirely up to the businessman.

"Simple, you are a loyal customer and you pay in advance," the man answered matter-of-factly. "There is no sense in chasing away a good customer. It's just bad business."

"Do you trust me?" Katsushiro asked tentatively.

"But of course. A samurai of your skill has certainly made powerful enemies over the years," man began to elaborate. "Apparently one of those enemies has decided to come back for revenge or something to that affect. I may not be a samurai, but even in the world of business it is easy to understand how irrational an enemy can be when revenge is on their mind."

"Thank you for that understanding," Katsushiro answered feeling a weight removed from his chest. Breathing easier he took the package he had purchased. Withdrawing a healthy sum of ryō and placing on the counter before him he drew the stout man's attention. "Please, take this for your troubles."

"Kambei-sama it was no trouble at all. I can't accept this from you," Diachi stated. Of course, he _would_ be a shrewd businessman with morals. Apparently he could not pickup subtle social clues either. Not exactly what Katsushiro had been expecting.

"Diachi-san, I wasn't making an offer, and it wasn't a request," _Kambei_ answered sternly. "Perhaps you will understand this. I was never here, you never saw me, and I am dead as far as you know."

"I see," Diachi said thoughtfully. The man, by the look on his face, was clearly trying to discern what this might mean without being too nosey. "Is it that bad?"

"Let's just say that I am surprised you are still alive," Katsushiro answered with all seriousness. "Your business was much appreciated, but I simply cannot put your life in further jeopardy. Should I return then you will have nothing to fear, but until this is over I will not return. I hope your business will not suffer in my absence."

"It has been an honor Kambei-sama," Diachi said with a short bow.

"The honor has been mine Diachi-san," Katsushiro returned the bow and left the store. If the Akatsuki had picked up his trail then things were getting dangerous; perhaps far too dangerous. He was deep in thought while walking toward the village gates. Mentally he ran through his inventory of supplies, food, weapons, and other necessities. The trip here was strictly business, but it may be a while before another opportunity to restock came around.

The boy was the biggest factor right now. Yurushi's training had progressed steadily over the years. Now that he was adapting to the seal that had been placed on him, Yurushi was growing exponentially. In time he could rival the skill of the samurai of Tetsu no Kuni, and perhaps even Mifune himself. That would be years away, and Yurushi was never meant to become a samurai. That was not his destiny. The question that floated around Katsushiro's mind as he wandered toward the edge of the town square was a simple one. Was Yurushi ready for the next stage? Training him as a samurai provided a solid foundation, but there would be things he would have to learn, and habits he would have to break if the boy were to survive.

Shadows and lies were what awaited him. Such a world was not fit for a samurai. If Yurushi was not ready to handle it then all he would receive would be a knife in the dark. It would be a swift and bloody end for a clan that was barely clinging to existence. With the Akatsuki on the move, however, there was little other option. The boy would have to go. At least he would not be alone, and he would have family to watch over him. It would have been a better place for the kid to grow up, but Akane had been clear in her desire for Katsushiro to train her son.

The gates were humble. Not a true defense, but the village was not very defensible. If an enemy wanted to take it, they would succeed. The walls were weak, the guard was few, trees limited the view of the watch, a river cut through the city, and the leadership was weak-willed. The only real advantage was that this village was a valuable resource, and as such it would be captured and not raised. No matter the tyrant that controlled it, the people would maintain the majority of their everyday lives. With a quiet confidence Katsushiro strode past the meager number of shinobi serving as a guard. He stopped briefly as they checked him and the supplies he was taking, and left the small city behind.

The path out of the village was an empty and the noonday sun shone between the leaves of the trees. Trees lined the path on both sides, but something was different about a few on his right. Markings were made on two that he could see. If his suspicion was correct then there was another tree with similar markings. Yurushi seemed to have accomplished his task. Quality would be in question now. The first tree came into view, and the markings grew in clarity. The markings became scratches upon the bark, and the scratches became carefully carved characters.

_Open roads ahead_

The first line of the poem read as it was displayed on the tree. The characters were cut cleanly into the wood. Rubbing a hand against the tree the surface felt smooth. The bark wasn't extremely rough or broken, and this made it easier to carve. What would have been brushstrokes on paper were precise strikes with a blade against the tree. The kanji were carved with great precision and accuracy, proving the skill the boy had with a sword. Quickly, Katsushiro moved to the second tree that was similarly marked.

_The westward wind takes flight_

The quality in the second tree was identical to the first. It was a show of consistency. It was a testament to the boy's ability to not give in or let up when the fight had begun. He showed a tenacity, a focus, and a drive that was reflected in the work he had done in the second tree. Yurushi would need such things in the years to come. Many would have slacked off, or become lax. Yurushi remained vigilant and set on his goal. A wonderful trait if one was not prone to tunnel vision. Moving on, he studied the words on the third tree as he approached.

_Trees waving farewell_

The third tree had the same quality work as the first two. Katsushiro had instructed his young student not to stop until the poem was carved out, not to sharpen his sword if it became dull, and not to replace it if it broke. The continued quality proved two things. First, it showed off the great endurance that the Uzumaki clan had been known for. Anyone else near the boy's age would have been unable to maintain such a pace. The chakra flow technique of the samurai was difficult for a child to maintain. This reason was the second proof of the boy's skill. The preteen was able to utilize an intensive technique for an extended period of time. While he could not perform the true Samurai Sabre technique, Yurushi was able to use it to an extent that kept his blade from breaking easily or dulling too quickly.

The craftsmanship was quality, and the poem wasn't half bad either. Perhaps the boy was ready after all. Picking up his pace on the main road Katsushiro gathered his thoughts. The Akatsuki lie in wait. Whether they were after him or his young pupil was unknown. It was an irrelevant notion considering that either way his disciple could not stay in his care any longer. Katsushiro could not defend him against the full might of the Akatsuki, and Yurushi would be a hindrance in avoiding their detection. It was no longer safe for him to stay. Turning back he looked at the village. Trying to create a new alias by which he could acquire his valuable materials would be difficult and time consuming. Nothing passable came to mind, but it was something that would have to be worked out for his continued survival. Something caught his eye as he was returning his gaze back toward camp.

On the other side of the road, facing away from the village gates there were three trees that bore similar markings as the ones Yurushi had carved into. The lines were spaced as evenly as Yurushi's and bore his swordsmanship. The poem that was engraved on their surface even held his writing style. The child had gone above and beyond what was asked of him. Katsushiro wondered if Yurushi had sharpened his sword for the second poem, but it didn't matter much. At a glance, the same level of skill was displayed in the second poem as was the first.

_A long journey's end_

_Candlelight in the window_

_The sweet smells of home_

"Yes," Katsushiro said to no one in particular as a small smile grew on his face. "The boy is ready to go to Konoha."

* * *

Late morning brought a great deal of activity. It was always a peaceful time watching the people passing by. They moved from shop to shop, street to street, and house to house going about their business. Many of them were so happy to be alive. It would be great to join them, but that is only asking for trouble. Trouble always started when he tried to join in on their fun.

It was nothing serious. Most of the time they would send hate filled stares toward him, and that was if they acknowledged him at all. Whenever they could, as often as they could, for as long as they could, the people of his home town would act like he never existed. They would ignore him when he spoke, and would never recognize his actions. For a brief time he tried his hardest to always be on his best behavior, but that didn't get him any of the attention that he wanted.

'_I sure showed them that I won't be ignored,_' a small boy thought to himself as he spotted his target.

It was a plain four story building. Nothing was special about it. It had a large double door at the entrance, rows of windows on every floor, and at the moment it was filled with all sorts of different people. He had spent most of last night studying the layout of the building with the blueprints in the public archives. This would take all of his skill to pull off, but if he succeeded then they would have to acknowledge that he was a great ninja.

With cerulean eyes focused on his objective he ran over his entry plan.

'_Main entrance always has people going in and out, so using that would make them wonder what I'm doing. The windows are a special kind of mirror or something, so they can see me coming if I don't take the right approach. It is a pretty new building with a central cooling system so I can slip in through the air ducts. I just have to be careful not to get caught by any of those stupid chūnin,_' the blond haired boy thought with a smile as he had his diversion already planned out. His diversion was perfect to keep several of the various run of the mill ninja busy for several hours while he accomplished his own little mission.

He had to save up for this one. Not that this was much of a problem given that the Hokage made sure he had all the essentials for daily living. The money that he received to purchase what he needed was enough, but just enough. There wasn't much extra, but what he had to save up to pull this prank off was no sacrifice he wouldn't make again. Besides any excuse to buy nothing but instant ramen was more than welcome. If he pulled this off, then he would have to splurge on the good stuff. Wiping the drool collecting on his mouth from thoughts of Ramen Ichiraku, he began to check his supplies.

He pulled out a scroll from his jacket pocket. There was some crazy pattern drawn on it. He had no idea how it worked, but it was one of the most useful things he learned in his class at the Ninja Academy. This fancy piece of art would store just about anything inside of a scroll if you applied chakra to it. If you used chakra on it when something was sealed inside, then the item would be released. Doing so, a small puff of smoke burst forth from the scroll and dispersed revealing a rather large fish. He had purchased the fish late last night. He had to do all of his shopping late at night just moments before the store closed. If he went early they would ignore him until closing time. They would always take his money and give him his stuff, but he always had to wait. If they refused to serve him or tried to overcharge him, then the Hokage showed up. If the Hokage showed up then the store would be closed within a week. People always did just enough to make sure the Hokage never showed up.

'_Stupid jerks think I'm an idiot. Well, I showed them. I beat their little game and just do all my shopping before they close so they can't ignore me and waste my time,_' he thought as he sealed the fish back into the scroll.

He abandoned his post and jumped from rooftop to rooftop across the village until he came to a particular building. It was old, and rundown, and never used. It was the perfect staging area. He walked into the building as the door creaked open. The wood of the floor strained underneath his every step. It was nearly impossible to be stealthy in here, but the building was far enough away from the Chūnin Command Center that they wouldn't think to look for something out of the ordinary here. It was also close enough that if this decrepit building were to catch on fire, then at least every Chūnin on break would be sent here to put the fire out.

He was no arsonist though, so that was what smoke grenades were for. He lost count of how many he had gathered, but it had to be at least a hundred, or five. Who knows? He tried to count them but gave up after fifty eight. He had unwittingly tricked his Sensei at the Academy, Iruka, into helping him rig these things to detonate in timed intervals. The poor guy thought that he was helping to advance the mischievous child's knowledge of stealth techniques. He was, in fact doing just that, but he would never have agreed to help had he known what the knowledge was going to be used for. Iruka-sensei would give him an earful for it when he heard about this, but the boy suspected his teacher was secretly amused by his antics. Why else would the man spend so much of his free time with him? Surely the guy had family or something, and if his teacher didn't like the pranks then he wouldn't spend so much time away from his family. Would he?

'_He seems so happy. There is no way that he could be all alone like I am,_' he shook his head to remove the depressing trail of thought. The life of an orphan was a challenging one. The worst part of it was the abject loneliness. The rest of the village doing their best to pretend he didn't exist didn't help matters either. Still, at least his teacher gave him the time of day. Even if it was simply to yell at him for pulling stupid pranks it felt good to be treated like he was alive, like he was human.

He applied chakra to the beginning of a very intricate collection of drawings that littered the warehouse floor. According to Iruka-sensei the technique was pretty basic stuff that most chūnin could learn, but none of it, not a single word was understood by the child. It was all far too complex for him to understand, but he knew when something was useful. The first couple of smoke grenades went off and that was the signal. He would have anywhere between five and ten minutes to get into position before he could enact the next phase of his plan.

Leaving the building the blond kid took to the rooftops once more, but this time from a different path. Approaching the Chūnin Command Center from the eastern side was the better approach. Wearing his trademark orange jacket and pants, and with the sun still climbing in the sky he would be much less noticeable to anyone who may happen to look out the window. The eastern part of the building backed into an alleyway system for several of the surrounding buildings so there would be less foot traffic to deal with. Fewer people walking around meant fewer eyes to possibly spot him. Landing on the roof of the building adjacent he took a moment to collect himself. The building he stood on now, was a story taller than the Command Center and so it was a simple jump down. Walking toward the edge, he carefully peered over to see if there was anyone standing around either on the roof or the ground below. Seeing no one, the boy took several steps back before running to the edge and leaping into the air. He landed on his desired destination with a tuck and roll.

He turned to see a small column of smoke rising in the horizon. Not enough to draw suspicion, but if it kept up for a few more minutes, then a team would be sent to investigate. Moving quickly he removed the grating cover on the duct system with a kunai knife. Crawling inside, he maneuvered the grating back into place. It wasn't as firmly attached, but it simply had to look like all things were ordinary to the passerby.

'_Alright, phase one complete,_' he thought victoriously as he turned around within the tight confines of the building's ventilation system. '_Now, on to phase two._'

Perhaps the only benefit of being so small for his age was that he could fit into small places like this easily. Just barely pushing a meter and a half in height and just shy of eighty pounds were the measurements of a shrimp according to a few classmates who enjoyed picking on him for his small stature. Yet such a size allowed for him to move freely about the duct system without causing too much noise. He approached the first drop off. Planting feet and hands firmly against the sides of the compact metal tunnel, he descended slowly to the second floor.

Reaching the connecting duct in his way to his target, he maneuvered himself into the new network of tunnels. The tubing broke off in two directions as it wrapped around the building. His destination was somewhere on the left hand side when the duct work split off. Or, perhaps it was the right hand side. He went with his gut, and his gut told him the right.

He crawled toward the end of vents and on the right hand side there was another grate. He dare not look through since there was a light on in the room, and possibly people who might see him. He could hear hushed noises. Murmurs and whispers of people talking about something, what he could not tell, but he could hear them. There was an occasional laugh every once in a while. There was also a consistent mention of a name, it sounded like they were speaking of a person named Kō. Apparently, he was far too rigid and by the book for these people. Impatiently the blond haired boy waited for something. He was beginning to wonder if his distraction had failed. He hoped not because his back-up plan wasn't as funny as he wanted it to be, and getting out would be much more difficult if the chūnin weren't preoccupied. Suddenly, there were sounds a burst of activity.

"Guys, there is a bunch of smoke coming from that abandoned storehouse a few blocks south. We need a team to go check it out. If it caught on fire, then we can't let it spread," someone said loudly.

'_Jackpot! It worked like a charm. Now these guys will go running out and I can get to work,_' the boy thought with excitement as his plan was really coming together.

The sound of people leaving the room in haste followed shortly, and the lights clicked off. Looking over into the room through the grating, the boy confirmed that it was empty. Removing the vent cover he climbed down to the floor and set his sights on the location of a suitable target. The couch against the wall on the opposite end of the room called to him with the sounds of a heavenly chorus. Drawing the scroll from his pocket he placed it on a nearby table. He unsealed the fish from the scroll and ran to where the couch was. He grabbed the middle cushion of the couch and returned to the table. He unzipped the cushion cover and placed the fish inside. He tried to reposition the fish within the cushion's stuffing so it would not be noticeable to anyone who sat on it.

Returning the cushion where it belonged, he sat down to test it out, and then proceeded to examine the cushion itself. It looked like nothing had been touched, or at least it looked like nothing was worth noting. Grinning, and barely containing his laughter he gathered his now empty storage scroll and climbed back into the vent system. Crawling back out the same way he came in was a bit more difficult, but well worth the effort. He could hardly control himself thinking of how it would be days before the smell began to become unbearable within the largest break room of the Chūnin Command Center. With luck, it would be weeks before they found the source, and by that time the smell would linger for months. It was beautiful, truly beautiful.

'_That'll teach those guys to think I could never become a ninja,_' he thought to himself as he climbed back onto an empty roof. Replacing the vent cover he turned to find his heart had stopped beating out of fear. Before him stood a man, armed with a sword on his back, and wearing a bear faced mask. He was staring at him, through him, and maybe even inside of him. It was utterly terrifying.

"Uzumaki Naruto," the intimidating man said with cold sternness.

"Y-y-yes," Naruto answered while trying to gulp down the rising fear.

"Hokage-sama requests your presence immediately," the masked ninja stated and vanished into thin air.

'_Well crap,_' Naruto whined in his thoughts. '_That ol' geezer somehow found out about what I was doing. How that old goat knows all this stuff is crazy. How the heck am I supposed to pull off any master pranks if he always knows about what I'm doing?_'

With nothing else left, Naruto left for the large tower toward the base of a large cliff on the edge of the village. It was where the Hokage's office was, a place with which Uzumaki Naruto was intimately familiar.

* * *

Yurushi stood quietly as his master spoke with an elder in the village. The office they were in was cozy. The desk was well worn and piled with papers, files, and various scrolls. The elder was obviously someone of great importance in the village. He couldn't quite remember, but Yurushi believed that his Sensei had said that the elder was the Hokage of the village. Some sort of rank or title that was clearly a significant role in village leadership.

The Hokage and Katsushiro exchanged words in hushed tones. Shock was written on the elder's face when Yurushi's Sensei explained the nature of their arrival. The only information that Yurushi heard them exchange was the name Uzumaki. It was about him, and Yurushi felt awkward standing their while people were speaking of him in secret. It wasn't entirely about him, but what the other parts of the conversation were about had been kept from his prying ears.

It was rather sudden change of scenery that his master decided to make. Not long ago Katsushiro-sensei had picked up a shipment in a small village on the border of Hi no Kuni, and life felt rather carefree. After his return, Katsushiro packed up the bare essential supplies needed for survival and they began to hike through the dense forests of the country. His master had even abandoned his kart two hours into the hike, saying that speed and subtlety were of the utmost importance. Their trip was made through the wild traversing no roads and encountering no signs of civilization. They stopped only to eat and sleep for brief moments. Yurushi had even learned how to travel by jumping from tree branch to tree branch. It was a method of travel typical of the ninja who called this land home.

Three days later they encountered a masked ninja who questioned them about their business and reasons for travelling through the forest rather than the main road. It was some measure of safety protocol, and Katsushiro-sensei explained that it was nothing to worry about. Hidden villages, by their nature, were very wary of those who were not well established citizens. Yurushi could make no sense of his master's behavior. It was entirely out of character. First, there was the worry, almost fear that Katsushiro-sensei seemed to exude. Then, there was the lack of answers to Yurushi's questions on the matter. The only answer that was given was that answers would come in time. Lastly, there was the fact that Yurushi's master gave out both of their actual names when asked. Yurushi rarely accompanied his master into any village, but the times he did aliases were used instead of their true names.

Whatever was going on was serious business. The sudden shift in his master's personality was clear evidence of that. Though, he couldn't help but wonder what all the fuss was about. He was in the dark, and had no other option but to wait patiently for someone to shed some light on his all too curious mind.

"Yurushi," his master said breaking the boy from his mental reverie. "Come with me for a moment."

"Yes Sensei," Yurushi answered and followed his master out of the room. With a look back into the office he saw the old man smile gently towards him. The Hokage seemed to be a kind soul. Yurushi followed his Sensei down the hall, and his eyes saw something intriguing. It was a boy roughly his own age, with bright blond hair and feral marks on his cheeks. They almost looked like whiskers, which would be better placed on an animal than a blue eyed child. Their eyes met, and the strange boy smiled widely as he passed on by. Yurushi was brought back into his surroundings when his Sensei stopped suddenly causing the boy to bump into his master.

"Yurushi, I need you to listen carefully," Katsushiro said with all seriousness on his face after he turned around. "I have enrolled you in the Ninja Academy here in Konohagakure. Classes have already begun for the year and you will have to take an entrance examination so they may properly place you. Even with my limited knowledge of the ninja arts you should be quite advanced for someone of your age. You have learned everything that I have to teach you, and it is time that you move on to the final stage of your training."

"I will do my best Sensei," Yurushi answered.

"I know you will," his master confirmed the sentiment and kneeled down to look him in the eye. Yurushi was a little unnerved by his master's sudden closeness, but needed to focus on what Katsushiro-sensei would tell him. "In a moment you will speak with the Hokage, and he will inform you where you will be living and who you will be staying with. You have family in this village, and I am quite certain they are eager to meet you. Do you have the pack that I gave you before we got here?"

"Yes Sensei," Yurushi answered, but he didn't like the direction that this conversation was heading. It almost sounded as if Katsushiro-sensei was going to be leaving him here in this strange village. "Where are you going to be staying Sensei?"

"I will be leaving," Yurushi couldn't believe his ears. His master was leaving him here? That couldn't be right. He had to have heard that wrong because his master would never abandon him. Would he?

"But, but you can't leave," Yurushi demanded quietly. Perhaps his master didn't understand the nature of their relationship quite like he did. It was a silent understanding that Yurushi had, and never discussed with his Sensei. Katsushiro-sensei was his father for all intents and purposes. The words were never uttered, but maybe, just maybe, if Yurushi told him then he would understand. "You can't leave me. You're my otou-"

"No," Katshushiro interrupted with force. He turned his face, but Katsushiro-sensei was clearly disturbed by this development in their conversation. Eyes met, as Sensei continued. "Yurushi, please understand me. I am not the man you want me to be. I can be your Sensei, I can be your mentor, I can even be your friend, but father is not a title I am worthy of. It is time I explained why we came here. We are here to hide you from my enemies. I believe they have found me and will try to hunt me down again. There is also the possibility that the same people who killed your mother are looking for you. This is a precaution against both of those threats. Your training was a safeguard against the chance they would try to find you."

"I understand Sensei," Yurushi said with all of his willpower focused on holding back the wellspring of tears. He wasn't too sure he was succeeding, but he was trying nonetheless. Wiping off his face on his sleeve, Yurushi attempted pulling himself together. His Sensei had said that time spent on tears was time wasted, and would have been better spent solving the problems that caused those tears. There was no answer that Yurushi could find for this particular problem. Perhaps hindsight would bring clarity.

"Listen carefully boy, I have a few more things I need to tell you and they are important," Katsushiro spoke, calming the growing anxiety Yurushi was in if only for a moment. His master seemed to be looking around as if to see if anyone was watching them. "The bag I gave you contains all of the personal affects that your mother wanted you to have. The various scrolls are of the utmost importance. They are perhaps the last and most complete library on the fūinjutsu techniques of the Uzumaki clan. Wars have been started over less trivial things, and if you do not guard over them carefully then someone may try to take them from you. The Hokage knows of them so that he can help you keep them safe, but you should tell no one else unless you could trust them with your life."

His sensei was dressed rather formally today. Not only did he wear his nicest Kimono, but he also wore his haori, which he avoided wearing as often as possible. His sensei drew something out of the long dress coat and held it in front of Yurushi. "This particular scroll is very important," his master began. "Your mother told me that this was the key. I have researched its meaning and purpose to the extent of my knowledge, but I must confess that the sealing arts are largely beyond my ability. This is yours, and in time you may discover its purpose."

Yurushi looked at the man as he stood. This was the man whom had been his only friend and family for his entire life, and now he was leaving. Katsushiro-sensei was leaving him all alone in the care of strangers, just like his mother had done with him some ten years ago. Had Kami-sama cursed him to never know what it was like to have a real family?

"There was one last thing," Katsushiro said as he held aloft his sword, motioning for Yurushi to hold out his hands and receive the weapon. Yurushi was dumbfounded, but went through the motions that his master was requesting of him. "May this blade protect you and help you cut through the lies on your quest for truth."

In absolute shock Yurushi stood and watched as the man who had raised him disappeared from his sight and his life. More shocking than that, was the simple fact that he had been given his Sensei's katana. As tradition goes, a samurai master may give his sword to one of his students. It was a sign of succession, a statement saying the recipient would carry on in the master's stead. Under normal circumstances it was given just before the master died. Sensei wasn't going to die anytime soon, so why was he taking his master's blade? It was a question that begged for an answer.

'_Think_,' Yurushi thought in silent contemplation as he stared blankly at the sword. The weapon felt heavy in his hand. It was a burden he was unaccustomed to, a weight he was unfamiliar with. He would need time to adjust to it, to adapt it to his purposes. '_There is something to what Katsushiro-sensei said. He meant something about that._'

His Sensei handed him the sword and wanted the blade to protect him. Unsheathing the weapon he found the metal sterling. The katana had been well cared for, and if a sword is cared for it will take care of its wielder. Yurushi knew that he would take care of his master's sword. He would be diligent in training with it, and in time he would grow in skill; skill enough to defend himself against any threat. '_Sensei wants me to keep training and learning so I will be safe,_' he concluded as he shifted his focus to the sharpened edge of steel.

Cutting, slashing, and stabbing were all actions by which the sword could accomplish its job. The sword of a samurai was meant to defend the weak from evil and remove obstacles to justice. There was no higher purpose. The glory of battle and the honor of a warrior's death were all achieved through that purpose. War was a tool of last resort to route the malevolent forces which would seek to bring a reign of iniquity. '_Cut through the lies on my quest for truth,_' Yurushi pondered the meaning.

The only truth that he had a desire to know, but had eluded him thus far was the truth about his mother's disappearance. Sensei had maintained that his mother was no longer alive, but Yurushi clung to the hope that she was out there somewhere. '_Sensei is telling me to find the answers that I have been looking for, but what are the lies he is talking about?_' He wondered, but the only reasonable answer he came to was that somehow this village full of ninja knew the truth. Looking at himself in the reflection cast by the metal he held, Yurushi could feel the words of a poem forming in the back of his mind.

_Gleaming and unsheathed_

_Walk upon divergent paths_

_Passing off the torch_

"Boy," called a voice from behind him. Yurushi turned to see an intimidating man clad in dark colored armor and donning a mask resembling the face of a crane. "Hokage-sama wishes to speak with you in his office."

Nodding, Yurushi tucked his master's katana inside the obi of his kimono alongside his wakizashi and walked toward the Hokage's office. Beyond the threshold of his door lay the future. Each step was a step closer toward the truth, and the beginning of a journey that Yurushi was beginning to embrace as his destiny.

* * *

Naruto barged into the closed office, against the persistent requests of the secretary. The Hokage was never doing anything important when he dropped by anyway, so it was no big deal. Besides, he was summoned there so there was no point to wait outside the office when he was supposed to be inside.

"Hey old man, some ANBU said you wanted to see me," Naruto declared in a chipper tone and a wide grin plastered on his face.

"Naruto," the Hokage answered looking up from his desk. His weathered face bore a gentle grin. "I wanted to speak with you about something very important."

"Finally decided to admit I'm awesome and hand over that hat?" the blond boy asked only half joking. The old man wasn't just going to hand over the title Hokage, and Naruto understood that much. He needed to get people to acknowledge him as a great ninja before he could be Hokage, but before he could be acknowledged as a great ninja he would have acknowledged as a person. It didn't make much sense to the boy though. The easiest way to be noticed was to have a title or position of importance, and the only way to have a position of importance was to be noticed as being good at something. He was great at pranking people, but that didn't get him the kind of attention or acknowledgement that he desperately wanted.

"Now, now Naruto-kun," the older man chuckled. "I have a few good years still left. I hope you don't want me to leave too soon."

"Nah," Naruto responded. "I guess you can stick around for a while. I should probably graduate from the Academy at least, just to keep appearances up and all."

"Yes now you are thinking like a Hokage. We can't let others think our village is weak because our leader didn't finish school," the Hokage answered with joy in his eye.

"Well, I guess" Naruto responded in deep thought. He was trying to recall the main reason he had decided upon letting the old man stay in office. "I figured it would make you look bad to have me take over before I even got a chance to break all the records in the Academy."

"Let's not get too far ahead of ourselves Naruto," the older man quipped as he scratched the grey goatee on his chin. He quickly switched demeanors letting Naruto know that the time to joke around was over. "Something rather serious happened this afternoon."

The young boy tried to look casual, but he was sweating bullets. '_I'm busted. The old man's gonna kill me. What do I do? How can I get out of this one?_'

Naruto was avoiding eye contact like it was a plague, and was seriously considering jumping through the window as a viable means of escape. The weight of the unmet stare from the Hokage was causing him to crumble. Finally, collapse. "I didn't do it this time I swear!" Naruto blurted out loud out of pure anxiety.

"What, exactly, did you not do this time?" the elderly man responded. There was a look in his eye that clearly said '_I am the Sandaime Hokage, I already know what you did. I only want to know if you will be honest with me,_' and Naruto hated that look.

Defeated Naruto decided he would try to be as noncommittal with his answer hoping that maybe, just maybe the old man hadn't heard anything yet. Of course, it was an ANBU that had caught him and those guys were supposed to be some of the best ninja in the village. "Well, I may or may not have done something to the second floor lounge in the Chūnin Command Center."

"What else," the Hokage said expecting there to be more to that story.

"I also may or may not have led people to think that the old storehouse nearby had caught on fire," Naruto admitted.

"This falsified fire was to cover your entrance to the Command Center then?" The Hokage asked to confirm his suspicion.

"Yeah," the boy answered while staring into a blank spot on the wall. The old man was good. Naruto was reluctant to admit it, and would never say it to the elder's face, but he was really good at being a ninja. Even though the wide eyed blond had never seen him in action he could tell that the Sandaime was quite capable to handle anything that comes his way. It was in the way the old man carried himself.

"Might I ask why you would do such a thing?" The Hokage queried.

"Well there were some guys who had just left the Ichiraku when I went for dinner one night. They were bragging about how they had just become chūnin and when I told them that I was going to be Hokage they laughed at me and said that there was no way that I could ever be a ninja. So, I decided to prove them wrong." Naruto explained and the Hokage nodded his head in understanding.

"I expect you to undo whatever damage was done and apologize to all of those who were affected," the elderly man was looking at him with all seriousness. It was nothing new for Naruto, though. Most of his pranks had a similar punishment. The only problem was that this prank would have an incredible amount of clean up involved. The lounge would be pretty easy, but it may take him weeks to clean up that old storehouse.

'_Maybe I can get Iruka-sensei to teach me a really cool technique to speed things up. Then again, when he learns that what he taught me was used in the prank he might volunteer to make sure I clean that mess up the slow way,_' Naruto groaned to himself after agreeing to the terms of his surrender which the third leader of his home had required of him.

"While that was quite enlightening," the Hokage said standing up from his chair, "it was not what I called you here for."

There was a moment of silence and Naruto began to connect the context clues of what he had just heard. If one was quiet enough, the metaphorical hamster could be heard running quite vigorously on a small and squeaky wheel. "Wait a minute," Naruto said as the last pieces of the conversational puzzle were falling into place.

"You never knew about my prank at all!" Naruto shouted pointing an accusatory finger at the old man who was starting to smile victoriously. _'I can't believe I was duped by this old guy! I'm going to prank him so hard one of these days. I promise, I will find a way to get even with you old man. When I do I will make sure you will never be able to live it down! You better believe it!_' the mischievous orphan began to run a list of possibilities through his head knowing that developing the perfect prank against the Hokage would take years of careful planning and flawless execution. However, once the fires were lit and the promise made, then nothing would be able to stop him.

"No Naruto I did not know of your prank, but I am glad you felt compelled to be honest and up front with me. For that, a simple apology to those who have been affected by your antics today will suffice," the Hokage answered as he turned to overlook the village he ruled.

The elderly man lifted his hand in the air, twitched his fingers, and brought the hand back down to be clasped into his other hand behind his back. '_That was weird. I guess old people do weird things sometimes_,' Naruto was brought out of his own speculations when he heard the Hokage's voice again.

"What do you know of your name Naruto?"

"My name?" Naruto wondered aloud. It was a simple question, but Naruto didn't have much of an answer and had no clue what his name had to do with anything. "Not too much really. My name is Uzumaki Naruto, and that is about all I really needed to know I guess."

"The name Uzumaki belonged to a once great and powerful ninja clan. The clan itself was destroyed sometime after the Second Shinobi War, but a good number of the survivors came to live here in the village. I never told you anything about your clan because we honestly believed you were the last living member. That fact would not be important until much later in your life, so I was simply going to tell you what you needed to know once it became relevant. I also felt it was more important for you to become your own man and discover your own path rather than live up to a legacy of a clan long gone. It seems that I was wrong about my assumption though," the Sandaime said before turning around to look Naruto in the eye.

"Wrong about what?" Naruto questioned with a look of utter confusion was likely painted on his face. He really didn't understand why the Hokage was even talking about any of that. It didn't seem important.

A small knock on the door distracted the Hokage from his immediate answer calling for the guest to come into the office. Naruto looked at the boy who entered. He had seen him in the hallway moments before. The kid was about six or seven inches taller than him and had dark colored hair which was almost looked black when the light didn't hit it right, but the highlights held a dark tint of red. He wore a casual looking kimono which was grey in color along with a black hakama, and a matching haori. The formal coat had the same white spiral crest that he had seen emblazoned on a few of his own articles of clothing. It had the same design as the crest on the back of the flak jackets that were worn by several ninja in the village. The boy also had a pair of swords secured on his side. Naruto thought it was cool that he knew how to use a sword well enough to carry two of them. The most notable feature that Naruto saw on the kid was the grey-blue eyes. They were focused and determined, if just a bit sad. '_The other man he had been with earlier isn't here with him? The jerk must have just left him here all alone!_'

"Naruto," the Hokage spoke slightly catching the blond boy's attention, but not fully breaking his train of thought. "This is Uzumaki Yurushi."

Having grown up all by himself left Naruto quite hungry for attention and recognition, but it angered him to see the same thing happening to others. He resolved to help the kid out. To spend some time and show him the ropes, make sure he knows what the village is like, and feels comfortable with his new home in Konohagakure. '_Who knows? Maybe after I show him around he'll want to be my friend!_' Naruto thought excitedly until he processed what the village leader had been saying.

"Uzumaki? If he has the same family name as me, then that means," Naruto inferred hoping that the Hokage would confirm what he was starting to hope.

"Yes Naruto," the Hokage agreed "This is your cousin."

Uzumaki Yurushi stuck out a hand as a form of greeting, but even with his limited knowledge of normal familial relations, Naruto knew you greeted family with a hug. As such he practically tackled the strange kid with his embrace. When he disengaged he knew he had a look of absolute dopey joy spread all over his face. He scratched the back of his head grinning from ear to ear. Naruto knew he should have felt silly for acting like that, but he couldn't bring himself to care. How could he care about looking stupid? After years of being entirely alone he finally had a family of his own.

* * *

**Alright, POV from canon characters will be a much more common occurrence, but not to the point where you are rereading my telling of the manga or something****. Let me know what you think and keep a look out for the next chapter.**


	4. Change of Course

**Chapter 4: Change of Course**

"I am always ready to learn although I do not always like being taught." - Winston Churchill

* * *

"Wake up," Yurushi said sternly.

Yurushi was getting aggravated. He wondered why at this point because words made no difference. Naruto continued to sleep, and each minute that passed was a minute that would be needed walking to the Ninja Academy. He may not yet be able to go to class, but it was the last day of his placement exam and he would not be late. Today they evaluate his basic combat skills, and if they did not have an accurate gauge of his abilities then they would not correctly place him.

"Naruto wake up! It is time to leave for the Academy," Yurushi repeated for the eighteenth time this morning.

Naruto snored, scratched his pajama covered rear end, and rolled over to continue sleeping. At the end of his rope, Yurushi grasped the hilt of his katana tightly. It hadn't even been a week since Yurushi had moved in with Naruto, but it was as if he had become the boy's parent. Naruto knew no responsibility whatsoever. This, as Yurushi understood, was due to a lack of supervision holding him responsible. Nevertheless, this song and dance would have to end. Drawing his master's sword, Yurushi quickly rapped the top of Naruto's nightcap clad head against the flat of the blade. It inflicted no lasting damage, but was just hard enough to sharply and painfully wake the sleeping blond.

"Hey! What's the big idea!" Naruto yelled while trying to rub the pain away.

"Oh I'm sorry, were you sleeping?" Yurushi decided playing dumb was a good way to divert his cousin's anger.

"You knew I was sleeping ya big jerk," Naruto grumbled.

"Well now that you are awake I guess we can go to the Academy together," Yurushi suggested trying to entice the younger kid into at least pretending to be interested in school.

"Why? It's not like I learn anything useful in there anyway. What good is knowing science and history going to be when I am trying to rescue a princess from a horde of bandits?" Naruto reasoned.

"You might be right about that. Perhaps not knowing how to determine the chemical composition of a poison those bandits used on the princess would better help you create an antidote. Or maybe not knowing that the near endless civil wars of Kirigakure have resulted in nearly half of all rogue ninja in the world come from said village will better help you remember that you have about a fifty-fifty shot of any given missing ninja being a Suiton user. Maybe you can become a great ninja by sleeping half the day away," Yurushi said sarcastically.

"Well, when you say it like that you kinda make me sound stupid," Naruto answered while getting dressed. The boy seemed to be fascinated with the color orange. It was an odd color for a ninja to wear, but Yurushi decided not to question it. Naruto was able to sneak into an official military building filled with chūnin ranked ninja with ease, and nobody seemed to notice him even with a bright orange outfit. Apparently the prank the blond had pulled the day Yurushi arrived in the village was far from the first one. Naruto was quite notorious as a prankster and remarkably stealthy at it as well.

"Stupid is as stupid does Naruto. You may not be an academic or a scholar, but you should at least try and apply yourself to your school work." Yurushi said as they walked out of the apartment. It was a small apartment, and a bit aged, but it was cozy and provided for by the village through a monthly stipend. It was the neighbors that Yurushi was most offended by. They would glare at Naruto with eyes full of hatred. Never once had he seen them act out violently, and Naruto never told him of a moment where they had, but it was worrisome.

"But it's so boring!" Naruto moaned and groaned loudly as they got to the main road, "and I don't get most of what they are trying to teach us."

The people who were on the street were hurriedly giving them wide berth as they walked by. Yurushi could hear their whispers. He knew not what they were saying, but they were talking. The eyes never left Naruto and the weight of their scorn was washing over Yurushi. Curiously, Naruto seemed unaffected by it. Perhaps he was simply used to them and chose to ignore it entirely.

"I can help if you need it," Yurushi offered.

"Really? You'll help me? Like, you will actually help me learn this stuff?" Naruto asked excitedly.

"Yes. I wouldn't offer unless I meant it," Yurushi answered curious about the utter glee the blond had at the prospect of help. He was wondering if Naruto had always been neglected so tragically, and if so then what was the reason for it?

They walked in quiet. Side by side they travelled the urban maze to the school. It was reminiscent of the redhead's life on the road. He was silent, unless answering his cousin's questions. When not speaking mindlessly, Naruto smiled and hummed a happy little tune. As they neared the schoolyard Yurushi's curiosity had begun to eat away his hesitation as he asked "Naruto, why do the people of the village look at you with such hatred?"

"Hmm?" Naruto seemed to be returning from the fanciful world inside his head, "Oh that! I dunno, I never really noticed it."

A lie, clearly, and yet he did not seem to know the reason. Naruto was trying, and for the most part succeeding, to ignore the reckless hate that was being heaped upon him. Yurushi wanted to press further, but given that they had just about arrived to their destination he decided to save it for later. His examiner stood waiting for him by the tree in the courtyard. Waving him over, Yurushi complied and figured that the final portion of his exam would be outside.

"Good morning Iruka-sensei," Yurushi said with a slight bow. He wasn't comfortable calling other people Sensei, but it was the proper title for the man's status.

"Good morning to you Yurushi, and it seems you even managed to bring Naruto with you," the older man replied with a warmth in his voice. He sounded as though he was quite familiar with Naruto's antics, and the general pain the blond could be.

"Hey Iruka-sensei," Naruto greeted his instructor timidly. Scratching the back of his head with a slight smile was a sign the blue eyed rascal felt unnerved, and Yurushi had begun to pick up on several of Naruto's personality quirks. Naruto seemed to be worried about getting in trouble, which apparently was a common occurrence.

"I'm glad you decided to grace us with your presence." Iruka said with no lack of sarcasm in his voice. "You do remember where our class meets don't you?"

"Yeah I remember," Naruto answered grumpily at the teasing. "I'll see ya in there Iruka-sensei!"

"Well, this is a bit awkward. I won't actually be teaching today. Kind of a role reversal, but I'm not actually skipping class," Iruka stated with a chuckle.

"Whattaya mean Iruka-sensei?" The whisker faced boy asked.

"Well I'll be administering the final portion of the entrance examination to your cousin, so you'll have a substitute for today's class," the man explained. Yurushi wondered what exactly they would be looking for in this examination, but knew that answer would come quickly. The first part had been easy enough, but the proctor seemed less than pleased that his Sunday afternoon had been ruined by Yurushi's sudden arrival. The Hokage had explained that they needed to move the exam along as quickly as possible so the placement process could be finished by the week's end.

"I hope it isn't that lady with the curly hair and glasses," Naruto complained. His cousin, for as much grief as he could give any adult, seemed to be quite fond of Iruka. Amazingly enough, the feeling appeared to be mutual.

"Actually, Suzume-san is your sub for the day and I expect you to be on your best behavior or you will not enjoy the consequences," Iruka threatened.

Naruto flinched in terror and gave Iruka his word that he would behave. He offered a wave and a good luck to Yurushi before heading off. Yurushi smiled gently.

"That cousin of yours is something else," Iruka said.

"Yeah, he's different, but in a good way I think," Yurushi agreed and began to steel himself preparing for the challenges of the day.

* * *

"Now class," the instructor began, "today's lesson is an important one. We will begin talking about the Shinobi Rules."

Neji groaned inwardly. He was a Hyūga, a lowly branch member, but a proud Hyūga nonetheless. He had already learned all of the Shinobi Rules. Now he would have to find a way to kill time until they reach the either the history, mathematics, or ninjutsu portion of today's lesson. The easiest way for Neji to kill time was to be productive, and the most productive thing he could do was train. The easiest thing he could train, without disturbing the rest of the class, was his eyes.

His eyes were the birthright of the Hyūga clan, and the very thing which fate had decreed him to have. They were both a blessing and a curse. The blessing that his eyes were the Byakugan, the most powerful dōjutsu that Konohagakure held in its ranks. The all seeing white eye was able to a variety of wonderful things that created some powerful shinobi. It allowed for near three hundred and sixty degree vision, telescopic sight, the ability to see through most solid objects, perceive high speed movement, and most importantly see the chakra pathway system.

Neji activated the power of his eyes and he began to see the world for what it truly was. He felt blind when not using the Byakugan, but had been learning the importance of not overly relying on one thing. He could see the entirety of his class. Girls were swooning over him as secretly as they could. They passed notes between one another talking about how dreamy his long, black hair was, or how good he was at taijutsu. It sickened him. If they insisted on playing foolish games, then clearly their fate was to fail as ninja. Their time would be better served learning their parent's trade. Especially the boy in martial artists' gi, that child was hopeless. He had no skills as a ninja whatsoever. Should he manage to defy fate and by some miracle graduate, he would die in the field by the end of his first week. Some people had no business as a ninja, but the boy persisted. Neji closed his eyes so he would have to see things through his eyelids, and thus increase the difficulty.

The instructor, Mizuki-sensei, continued to write on the board as he discussed the various rules he was chalking up. His shoulder length white hair bore a slight hint of blue. Neji wondered if that was a genetic trait or just an odd hairstyle. He reasoned that it must be genetic, because it didn't make any sense to have hair colored in a special way only to cover it up with a bandana. A girl toward the front of the class caught his attention as she twirled a kunai knife around her finger while jotting down some notes. Her name was Tenten, and she was a capable kunoichi. No clan or familial link to the life of a ninja, but she had skills, and was perhaps the best marksman in the class. Though he would never admit it out loud, she was a better aim than he was even with his Byakugan.

Sitting next to him was a boy, Muramasa Kenshi, and Neji noticed that the bangs of his closely cropped brown hair were held up by a folded bandana wrapped across his forehead. The boy wore mostly dark colored shades of red and blue, and always carried a sword to class. In spite the instructors telling him that they would never learn swordplay, the boy brought it anyway claiming that he made it and would bring it wherever he wanted. There was nothing too special about him beyond the sword. The ninjatō rested lazily against the desk to Neji's right. It was wonderfully made to be sure, and Neji concluded that when Kenshi failed as a ninja he would likely succeed as a blacksmith.

Deciding to focus on the outside world he projected his sight further. The courtyard held a curious amount of activity. Neji tried to view the chakra networks of the two individuals. One was clearly a chūnin level ninja. Size notwithstanding, the chakra was more refined and greater in ready supply than the other individual. They moved back and forth trading blows as they sparred under the tree next to the Academy's entrance. The second source of chakra wasn't as developed, but looked quite powerful. The individual was perhaps a genin level opponent given the high level of chakra reserves, and one who would be quite advanced as an Academy student. Neji wondered what genin would be able to steal the time and attention of an Academy instructor during school hours.

Forgoing his viewing of their chakra rolling against each other as the ocean tides, his vision returned to its standard enhancement. He was immediately trying to follow the quick movements. He recognized the older man as Iruka-sensei. The scarred teacher had subbed for a class here and there, and commonly partnered with Mizuki-sensei during their taijutsu training. The other individual was an unknown. He had a head of hair which hung loosely, and given the moderate length of his bangs it was a surprise that the boy's vision wasn't obstructed. He struck Iruka-sensei in the shoulder and followed up with an open palm strike to the midsection. A moment was given as a breather for both fighters. They took up their stances and resumed.

The boy's form was sloppy, many of his strikes were ill-timed and blocks were poorly executed. Several holes existed in his defense and his attacks often left him open for counters, but he was fast. Fast enough to keep Iruka-sensei from pressing an advantage. It was likely that Iruka was purposefully holding back, and that was when Neji realized the truth of the spar. This was a skill assessment for an incoming student. His own speed and Iruka's reluctance worked in the boy's favor, because he elected to dodge as much as Iruka chose to dish out and would strike while the man was unbalanced. The boy clearly was not very proficient in taijutsu, but the curious thing was that his footwork was near flawless.

Neji took a glance around the battlefield and noticed the two swords which rested against the tree. One was a wakizashi, and the other a katana, and that seemed to be a plausible answer to the boy's rather impressive footwork. More sword users seemed unnecessary in the Academy, but with his stunning speed, perhaps this one was a proven kenjutsu practitioner. Either way, this student may be one worth keeping a closer eye on if the chance presented itself. Neji determined to follow up and learn what class he lands in.

"Neji," Mizuki-sensei called out his name, and broke his concentration from the sparring match in the schoolyard. "Would you know what this rule is?"

Thinking quickly Neji let the chakra cease its aggressive flow into his eyes, and deactivated his Byakugan. He looked on the board to see that rule number four had not yet been written down and answered in cool confidence "The fourth Shinobi Rule clearly states: A shinobi must always put the mission first."

"Very good Neji," Mizuki-sensei responded and proceeded to write the answer down. As the girls behind him giggled and whispered to themselves his instructor's voice rang out "Although it is tempting, you should at least pretend that you are paying attention in class instead of watching the fight in the courtyard."

This elicited an eruption of laughter as the class all finally got their moment to laugh at the growing embarrassment of the child prodigy. Neji tried his best not to look entirely embarrassed at getting caught, but did not feel guilty. It was certainly an interesting fight, maybe not so much the fight itself, but the mysterious student who was involved.

* * *

Sarutobi Hiruzen was feeling his age. Every day of his sixty six years was weighing down on him heavily. During the twilight hours of the day he realized what the cause of all his trouble was. It was not brought about by being the Hokage of Konohagakure, the stresses of leading a vast military, or even dealing with the various politics that was involved with either. No, at the moment he stood behind his desk staring at a three foot stack of paper work that had magically appeared there while he went to use the restroom. Taking a seat, the daunting task took on a different perspective. The change of height made it appear that more work was required than when he was standing. It was the bane of his existence. Sure, he could utilize one of the thousand techniques and jutsu that he had mastered over the years to speed things up, but he felt it was more important to use his chakra only when needed. Like when the village was in danger.

He couldn't justify painting at the moment, though he would like to. He had put off the various requests of the civilian council for far too long. The political structure of the village was quite ingenious, but a double edge sword for him. As Hokage, he was the supreme and unquestioned military leader. Every shinobi of the village answered to him. Missions would be distributed by ability and request. Should a delicate issue arise there was a shinobi council which would serve as a board of advisors. It was constructed of various high ranking ninja, and the heads of the noble ninja clans that called the village home. They had no real power, but the weight of their influence could be shifted with each decision. All in all, keeping half of the clan heads satisfied at least half of the time was always a preferred outcome.

The civilian council was little more than a body of legislatures who would take in the day to day complaints and necessities of the village as a whole and would draft legislation to be considered for action. Anything that was a matter of safety and security for the village was placed on his desk for approval. The problem came with one simple fact. In a ninja village everything was an issue of safety and security. Every little thing. Troop movements, border patrol assignments, citizenship applications, liquor licenses, and especially the request that was at the top of the stack were all a matter of village security. The paper was a proposal that Uzumaki Naruto be expelled from the Academy as punishment for one of his pranks.

He promptly threw the paper away. It was a request the council tried to slip in hoping to catch him off guard, but his secretary had a sharp eye and always made him aware of such things. She had probably already submitted the proper paperwork notifying the request was denied, in triplicate mind you. Hiruzen wished that Naruto had not been the village guinea pig, but it was a desperate time, and he was careless with the truth. In a shinobi village lies and truths were deadly weapons that needed to be wielded both efficiently and effectively. That day he had slipped up, and Naruto was paying for it.

He eyed the rest of his to-do pile, and groaned. He needed a distraction, and he needed one now. Something that was legitimate enough to place this busy work aside, but something that wasn't too stressful. Almost as if on cue, his distraction slid in through the window behind him.

"Listen up old man," a perturbed voice called out. "You had better have a damned good reason for calling me back here."

"I'm glad to see you too Jiraiya," Hiruzen said, and without even turning around he gestured to the chair in front of the desk. "Please take a seat and I will explain."

"Nah, I'm good where I am," Jiraiya answered, and Hiruzen balked at this. He was being difficult, and always had been. Hiruzen turned in his chair to see his student stand against the wall in his typical cool and casual demeanor. Jiraiya's long, white mane was hidden between his back and the wall. The horned forehead protector helped his unruly hair frame his face, and a giant scroll rested gently against the wall to the man's left. "So what is it old man? You called me back about three weeks after I had successfully infiltrated Orochimaru's network. It's hard enough to slip in without him noticing, and it's at least twice as hard to get out. This had better be important."

"Trust me this is quite important," Hiruzen began.

"Well before I forget I have something for you," Jiraiya interrupted pulling out a book from his pack. His student grinned from ear to ear. The book had an orange cover, but was otherwise unadorned. "This is a copy of the final draft. The last twenty three pages are inconsequential, and are really just filler so my publisher won't gripe about a shorter book. It's still worth the read if you know what I mean."

"I see," Hiruzen said uncertain of the suggestion, but took the book quickly and began thumbing through it. "Have you created the decryption key?"

"Didn't have time to write it down, you said it was urgent. You'll have to make one on your own, but that shouldn't be too hard for you. The code is largely based off the first and seventh books in the series. That should be hint enough if you know my writing style," Jiraiya answered slyly.

"Very well," Hiruzen smiled. Cracking the code even with the substantial hint that Jiraiya gave him would take weeks. Jiraiya's reports contained vital intelligence that the village greatly profited from. "That should do nicely," the elder shinobi muttered quietly to himself. Hiruzen had his distraction.

"So what's the big ordeal? Is the Raikage making idle threats again? Do you need some high powered muscle to scare off the ruffians from Kumogakure?" Jiraiya asked jovially.

"No, nothing of the sort," Hiruzen responded grumpily. That was still a sore subject. "Konoha has a new citizen that I thought you should be made aware of."

Jiraiya stood in silence, staring blankly. Hiruzen was counting down the second's to Jiraiya's reaction. His former student may not have always been the sharpest kunai in the set, but he had always been the most entertaining. "I don't think I quite heard you right. Did you say you called me here to let me know that someone became a citizen?"

"Yes," Hiruzen smiled. "They say that hearing is the first thing to go. Perhaps it is time you retire?" Maybe the joke was a bit too far, but pushing Jiraiya's buttons always made for a good time.

"Listen up you senile old coot," Jiraiya's tone of voice became deadly serious, and he even released an impressive amount of killing intent, almost as if it would scare the seasoned ninja. "I put my life on the line for this village. I run a spy network that rivals Kusagakure, and I take on deep cover operations that would make most ANBU wet themselves. I don't have time to come running back home every time some salesman walks through the gates. You may be my Hokage, but you don't have the right to keep me as a lapdog anytime you get bored."

Jiraiya may have become a legend in his own time, and was indeed worthy of his legend, but he was not anywhere near good enough to be a real threat to the Sandiame. First he didn't have the heart to actually hurt his Sensei, and second he didn't have the firepower. Sannin was a fancy title given to three incredibly skilled Jōnin, but Hokage was a rank. The difference in power was vast, and even on his best day Jiraiya couldn't harm him. Jiraiya may be the most obvious candidate for the position of Godaime Hokage but only after Hiruzen was six feet deep, and not a moment before. These facts didn't stop Jiraiya from unleashing his righteous fury in the form of a well-crafted speech that highlighted his own duty as Hokage.

"Uzumaki Yurushi," Hiruzen calmly stated causing Jiraiya to stop ranting.

"What?" Jiraiya paused not really thinking about what had been said. His ranting had gotten him pacing the room. "Never heard of the guy," Jiraiya concluded bluntly.

"Nor should you have, unless you know a large number of eleven year olds," Hiruzen quipped.

Jiraiya took a seat, likely so he could clear his mind of the self-sanctimonious wrath which had been rolling off of his tongue. As he was connecting the dots of what had been implied a certain light was brought to his eyes letting Hiruzen know that his student had figured it out. "You mean to tell me that there are more of them, and one of them is around Naruto's age?"

"Yes and no," Hiruzen began. "There was only one, and his caretaker brought the boy to the village at his mother's behest. The child's mother was an Uzumaki, Akane if I remember her name correctly, and is no longer present. Nevertheless, the boy had been brought here hoping to avoid entanglement with some rather unsavory characters. Uzumaki Akane has been presumed dead since the Yurushi was a baby, but she had instructed the caretaker to bring the boy here one day and to speak with the Hokage alone about this matter. The Yondaime Hokage specifically,"

"She knew Minato?" Jiraiya interrupted. "I know Minato was trained directly by the Uzumaki in fūinjutsu so it is possible they knew each other. Kushina got him started in the Uzumaki style, but I never knew who taught him the advanced stuff. So she's dead now I guess, but who is the caretaker?"

"He never gave me his full name, but he said his name was Katsushiro," Hiruzen was hoping that Jiraiya could shed some light on the situation and help him understand just what was going on.

"Name doesn't ring a bell, but I'll do some digging when I get a chance. Just have the ANBU give me a dossier on him before I leave," Jiraiya said.

"They are already making one," Hiruzen affirmed. "There were a few other things. I introduced Yurushi to Naruto, and told them they were cousins. I am having a full genetic analysis being done as we speak just to be sure, but if the boy's chakra signature is anything to go by he is an Uzumaki. He has been enrolled into the Academy, and if Iruka's initial impressions were anything to go by he will be placed in the class one year ahead of Naruto."

"Wouldn't you rather have them together? I'm sure Naruto would appreciate a friendly face. I'm not in much position to talk, but you have kind of sucked at making sure Naruto was loved and treated with respect," and Hiruzen sighed.

Jiraiya was right, and Hiruzen knew it. Naruto had been ignored by the populace of the village when he should have been treated as a hero. The young blond had no choice in what had happened, but it didn't matter to the village. The Hokage, for all his power, could not force people to think well of the child. He could try and ensure he was treated well, and he strictly _disciplined_ any who would try to harm, abuse, refuse service, or take advantage of the boy. Still, he also couldn't constantly monitor the child, and if the kid knew that there were ANBU keeping an eye on him there would likely be a heated protest by the little prankster.

"This was Iruka's recommendation, and Iruka has proven to have Naruto's best interests at heart, so I will allow it. The decision has its own merits. First, it gives Yurushi room to grow and develop at his own pace without feeling compelled to wait for Naruto to play catch up. Second, it also allows him to develop his own friends in the village thus giving him ties, and a reason to stay loyal. Third, it gives Naruto an example to look to and a person to guide him as he progresses through the Academy and transitions into ninja life. Fourth,"

"Alright already," Jiraiya interrupted. "I didn't need the full story. I just wanted to know that someone was considering Naruto here. Why are you concerned about Yurushi's continued loyalty though? Isn't Naruto reason enough to stay?"

"The simple truth Jiraiya, is that these boys are complete strangers. I fear that the only reason Yurushi has stayed is because he was ordered to by Katsushiro. If he no longer sees the need to live here, doesn't develop strong ties to the village, or finds reason enough to run I fear that he will leave. An Uzumaki would be a prize for any ninja village, and this child has in his possession something that people would kill for," Hiruzen sighed.

"Which is what exactly?" Jiraiya questioned.

"He has a near complete library on the Uzumaki sealing style," Hiruzen admitted.

"I'm surprised that Danzō hasn't killed the kid and taken it already. Hell, I'm surprised you haven't taken those scrolls yet," Jiraiya joked. Or at least Hiruzen hoped that Jiraiya had been joking.

"I would never dishonor Minato or Kushina that way, but Danzō did worry me, and so I needed to make a statement. I needed to subtly make him aware that I have a very close eye on the Uzumaki boy. Simply having an ANBU guarding over them every hour of the day would not deter him, and doing something personally brings far too much attention to the issue and only heightens his interest."

"All this cloak and dagger political maneuvering between you two is getting old. You should just have the old bastard executed in his sleep. Make it look like a heart attack," Jiraiya suggested. Before Hiruzen could even begin to explain why that was not an option Jiraiya continued, "Yeah, yeah, he is a loyal servant of the village. His Root program would make that impossible, may even spark a civil war, and won't be dismantled because they are efficient and effective. Sooner or later you have to wise up and figure out that Shimura Danzō is not your buddy, but a friend of convenience. As soon as you are not convenient to him anymore, he'll gladly put a knife in your back. I know what you want me to do, and I'll stay for a week and teach the kids something, but I want something in return."

"What exactly do you want?" Hiruzen asked with mild curiosity. He would have normally assumed that his student wanted unrestricted viewing access to the ladies bath at his favorite hot spring, but when Naruto was involved Jiraiya had a tendency to be serious.

"I want to tell the little brat the truth," the younger man stated rather boldly. "I want to tell Naruto the truth about everything, his heritage, his parents, and his burden."

"I forbid it." Hiruzen answered with strength in his voice.

"Then why should I help you?" Jiraiya asked with contempt.

"You may speak of the Uzumaki clan if he asks, but you will not speak of his burden. Should he graduate the Academy and become a genin, then I will see to it personally that he is informed of his burden. You have my word as Hokage that it will be so. There is no need to make him worry over something that he may not even learn to use, and if the boy cannot be a ninja then he will not learn to use that power. It would be too unstable otherwise. You will speak nothing of his parentage and that is final," Hiruzen commanded with a heavy heart.

"I disagree about his burden, but I see your point. Why shouldn't I tell him about his parents? He has a right to know! He deserves to know that he was loved and cared for at least once in his life! He deserves it, of all people, Naruto deserves it," Jiraiya yelled making Hiruzen grateful he had erected his various privacy barriers once his student had stepped into the office.

"I made a promise that I would say nothing of it. Minato asked this of me as he lay dying Jiraiya. Do you really want me to deny the last wishes of a dying man? I may not have fulfilled his wish to have Naruto seen as a hero, but I'll be damned before I break another promise to that man. He and Kushina gave everything for this village, and I will not break my word to them. I know I have failed that boy several times, but this is the one thing that I can still do for Minato. It's the one promise that I can still keep. Don't make me go back on my word more than I already have," Hiruzen was very grateful for the privacy barriers after he finished his escalated response.

"Give me one good reason old man," his angered student glared with fire.

"First, this is an order from your Hokage." Hiruzen hated using that line on Jiraiya. His student only resented him more after each repetition. "Second, Minato told me that he would tell Naruto the truth himself."

"Seriously?" Jiraiya looked at him as if he had grown a third eye and sprouted wings.

"Seriously," Hiruzen and his student sat in silence. Jiraiya's eye bore into his own as if trying to search his soul to see if his words were true.

"Fine, but Kami help you if you ever cross me," Jiraiya said as he walked toward the window that he entered in through.

"Oh, Jiraiya," Hiruzen said handing his student a file folder. "Here is a report on Naruto's performance in the Academy, and Yurushi's preliminary examination results. You may want to look over this before you teach them."

Wordlessly Jiraiya took the folder and briefly thumbed through it. "Despite whatever you may think," Hiruzen said drawing the attention of his student, "it is good seeing you again."

"Sure thing old man," Jiraiya responded with a smile and leapt out of the window.

Leaning back in his chair Hiruzen grabbed the book that rested on the surface of his desk. "I'm too old for this," he said to no one in particular. While thumbing through the nondescript book he began skimming over its contents. He could already see the patterns, but he would have to do an exhaustive study to be sure of the accuracy of his translation. He could feel a little trail of blood trickle from his nose as he read a few choice lines. Jiraiya had a real gift, and knew how to profit from it.

* * *

Thumbing through a well-worn book, Hatake Kakashi was enjoying a beautiful evening. The silver haired Jōnin was known as many things, a true prodigy, the Kopī Ninja, an ANBU Captain, and was commonly called a lazy bastard. Monikers and nicknames meant little to him. The only titles that mattered to him were the ones that bore true value. Son, student, and friend were titles that he wore proudly for as briefly as he was allowed to wear them.

The life of a ninja is one of tragedy, and tragedy was all he knew. The sole son and survivor of a suicidal father, he grew up with a determination to overcome the shame that had broken his father's spirits. _A shinobi must always put the mission first_, a rule that Kakashi was intimately familiar with. It was the rule his father broke, and the rule he swore to live by or die trying. That rule was what had defined his role as son. It was because of the fourth Shinobi Rule he was forced to live up to and redeem his father's sullied legacy. When he was placed on a genin team he progressed quickly in rank by following the rules.

Student was another title he was proud of. He was the student of the Yondaime Hokage, Namikaze Minato. A man proclaimed to be the greatest ninja produced by Konohagakure since its foundation. This man took to Kakashi and his students as a father would take to his children. He taught, mentored, loved, and disciplined his students with all of the care and concern of a father. Kakashi was not looking for a father. He had a father, and his father had abandoned life. Kakashi wanted to be a student, and to return honor to his family name. Minato-sensei helped him embrace and thrive in this role. This didn't really help with his role of a friend though.

Commonly, one's genin teammates become lifelong friends and comrades. To his own genin team, for the longest time, Kakashi was an ass. He was inconsiderate, stubborn, callused, and cold toward his teammates. Nohara Rin and Uchiha Obito were his teammates, and tried to be his friends, but for years Kakashi wouldn't let them. He saw Obito as a liability and Rin as a distraction. Neither one were needed for him to meet his goals. Time would prove that he was the liability to Obito, and a distraction to Rin. For all of his skill and power, what killed his team was his lack of friendship. He learned how to be a good friend, but at the cost of Obito's life. Now his genin team, were just names carved on a stone to immortalize the fallen. Kakashi sighed deeply at the thought as he turned the page.

He was sick of this book. He was sick of his current role. ANBU had been a haven for him. It was a place he could be useful until the job finally claimed his life. When his Sensei became the leader of the village Kakashi joined their ranks. He had been determined to serve to the best of his ability with every breath he had. Sadly, his Sensei had given his life as well. No other reason seemed to justify his own existence, and with no enthusiasm he took the promotion to ANBU Captain. He committed all sorts of atrocities for the cause of keeping his home safe. None of his acts as a leader in the black ops division brought him any pride. Yet he was also largely unaffected by his grievous sins. He was already a husk, an empty shell of a man waiting for death to claim him.

Hope it seems, was stronger than death. He had no proof of his suspicions, and was slightly offended that Minato-sensei had not told him the truth, but he found a new title that he was eager to take. The role of teacher was well within his grasp, and he would do all he could to take up that mantle. He was not the best of role models, but he could at least show a group of students an example of how _not_ to be a proper shinobi.

The branch of the tree he was lounging on shifted under the addition of a new weight. "I thought I might find you here Kakashi," a familiar voice said coolly.

"Jiraiya-sama," Kakashi casually acknowledged the man as he flipped to the next page of his book.

"I have something for one of my most loyal fans," Kakashi looked up at this and saw one of the legendary Sannin handing him a small blue book and it bore, with large font, the title _Icha Icha_. Greedily, Kakashi snapped up the book as if the one in his hands was worthless.

"Is this what I think it is?" Kakashi asked with shock at what he was holding.

"Yep, it's the unreleased special edition of my latest masterpiece. It's not set to hit shelves for another month still, and just think of my autograph as a token of gratitude for your continued loyalty," Jiraiya beamed with pride at his work.

"It's a Daisuke story," Kakashi groaned. "Do you have the decryption handy?"

"You too? None of my true fans like Daisuke," Jiraiya whined, sounding defeated.

"His character is flat compared to your other main characters. I don't understand why you keep writing stories for this guy," Kakashi mused.

"My publisher tells me that books with Daisuke sell the best because he gets into the most interesting situations. The positions I put that guy in really blow people's minds," the white haired legend laughed perversely. "Still, I guess you are right. I don't really like him either, but he serves a purpose. The codes for his character's stories are the most dynamic, and are easier to solve if you have the previous decryptions to cross reference against. The old man should have the code cracked in a few weeks. You still want to read the story though, right?"

"Of course," Kakashi answered with no hesitation. "Is there anything I can help you with?"

The elder shinobi was busy most of the time. He wouldn't be here without reason, and he certainly wouldn't drop in just to say hello. His time was valuable to the village, and better served beyond the walls. The spymaster may have a reputation of a hard-line pervert, but no one questioned his skill as a ninja. If Jiraiya had been like his former genin teammates and decided to leave the village, then none could bring him back. This is not to say that no one could bring him back by force, the Hokage could do that Kakashi supposed, but it was a moot point. If Jiraiya did not want to be found, then no one would find him. It was that simple. Not a soul in the village had the skill to track the Sannin down if he decided to disappear. If Jiraiya wished to walk away from it all then he would cease to exist to the village, because it would be a waste of time and resources to try and act to the contrary.

"I was wondering how the twerp was doing," the man grinned knowingly. Clearly he knew that Kakashi knew something which ought not be known.

"Take a look for yourself," the silver haired man responded motioning toward a window that showed a lit apartment room. Within two boys were wrestling fiercely. A blond haired child was at the mercy of another, slightly larger child with dark crimson hair. The elder held his junior in a rather simple headlock. Both were smiling, the blond was laughing wildly, and in general they were having fun roughhousing.

"I guess they are getting along pretty well then?" the living legend asked.

"I reckon so," Kakashi answered as a lazy eye scanned the first page of his new treasure. Monocular vision was something he was long used to. Some would see it as a burden or a curse. He saw it as a gift. He lost one eye while protecting his best friend, and his best friend gifted him with a new one before he died. It was an eternal reminder of the cost of friendship, and just how far a true friend will go for you.

"When did you finally piece everything together?" The elder shinobi asked his junior.

"A few years back, but I still don't have solid proof. Sensei covered his tracks well," Kakashi said with a smile that went unseen by most. He bore a cloth mask that covered much of his face from the bridge of the nose down. Secrecy was key to a ninja's success, and hiding one's face did more than hide their identity.

"You aren't angry about that are you?" Kakashi closed his new book for now. This conversation was becoming serious and would likely stay that way. He couldn't appreciate the story while distracted.

"I was at first," Kakashi answered watching the children through the window. Naruto had turned the tables on his elder kin and was now in command of their wrestling match. "I understand Sensei's reasoning though. I was in the ANBU at the time. Privileged information like that would have put the village and himself in great jeopardy if something were to happen. I'm not saying that I would have gotten captured, but stranger things have happened out in the field."

"I'm kind of surprised you haven't adopted the kid," Jiraiya stated letting the thought linger in silence. Kakashi heard that Jiraiya had wished to adopt the boy, but was thwarted in his attempts. The loyal Sannin's duties as a spymaster for Konoha would have been disrupted and compromised with the presence of a young child. He also couldn't just stop his work. The village needed the intelligence gathered through his network of spies, and no one else could manage it so effectively. Jiraiya was far too loyal to the village to simply throw everything away. His parent's lives, his Sensei's life, his life, his student's lives were all lived in dedication to the village, and to betray the blood that had been shed by him and for him was far too steep a price for the conscious.

"There was no way I could," Kakashi answered begrudgingly. "I was in pretty much the same position you were in. My service in ANBU would have made the whole act of adopting Naruto ineffective. I spend most of the year behind that mask, and even when I was supposed to be off duty I was still kept busy. He would be just as lonely as he is now. If I had adopted him nothing would have changed but the kid's address. I let my contract for ANBU expire after he entered the Academy. I'm going to be his Jōnin Sensei once he graduates."

"That's if he graduates," Jiraiya responded with a chuckle. "I looked over the kid's academic record on the way here and I have to say, it's pretty pathetic. He has multiple instances of skipping class, poor grades, most of the instructors state he shows no real desire to learn, and he failed his first attempt at graduation."

"True, but there is no doubt that he will graduate," Kakashi looked at the expression on the older shinobi's face. His countenance was clear cut confusion, and it begged for his explanation. "He shows a pretty good degree of raw talent. His pranks are evidence to that. Just last week he snuck into the Chūnin Command Center and hid a dead fish in the couch cushion of the main lounge. To cover his entrance he made everyone believe than an old munitions warehouse had caught fire. If his cousin hadn't shown up that afternoon he would have gotten a clean break."

"Well at least he shows promise," the white haired ninja roared with laughter. "How's the Academy system work these days? The last time I knew anything about it was when I was a Jōnin Sensei, and that had to be at least twenty years ago."

"It's pretty laid back these days. Much different than when I graduated," Kakashi recalled the days of old. The drums of war resounded in the heart of the village, and as soon as he showed the necessary skills he graduated from the Academy. He was five years of age, and was eager to serve during those perilous times. "With the village being at peace for the past decade or so the Academy encourages all of its students to stay the full six years. Four years are mandatory at the end of which you can take the graduation exam. If you fail you can retry the next year, but if you haven't at least qualified for genin by the end of six years you are dropped from the program entirely. Most families comply with the recommendations and the kids stay for the full six years, but a few here and there opt for early graduation. Usually, it's the civilian kids trying to turn some heads up top."

"So Naruto gave the exam a shot last go round and blew it," Jiraiya said thoughtfully while examining a file full of information. Likely it details of the child in question. Knowing Jiraiya, he was also looking over the boy's entire class. "Kinda curious as to why the last Uchiha didn't opt for early graduation. I had heard he wants to kill his brother or something crazy like that, and his record looks pretty good."

"I suspect he wants to soak it all in for as long as he can," Kakashi looked once again to see the boys in the window. Naruto was hanging off of Yurushi while the new citizen of the village was attempting to read a scroll. The look of frustration on his face was becoming more and more obvious with each passing second. Eventually, Yurushi threw Naruto over his head and leapt out of view to follow up his attack. Round three was now underway, and Kakashi smiled. "I'll probably be stuck with Uchiha Sasuke when he graduates. The chance that his Sharingan will awaken would mean that I am the only one who could train him how to use it. Hokage-sama has already informed me that he wants me to keep a close eye on his mental state, something about being a potential flight risk."

"Well if Naruto graduates dead last in his class you'll get them both if traditions are followed," Jiraiya noted the optimistic possibilities.

"If I get them both most of my time will be focused on the Uchiha. After his older brother slaughtered the entire Uchiha clan, Sasuke has been an unknown. Sometimes he will show signs of recovery, and other times he has outbursts of rage. The kid is a total mess and no one knows how to handle the situation. He's treated very well by the village at large, but it's mostly just a smile and a wave," Kakashi explained. Many villagers wouldn't say it, but most of them were more afraid of Sasuke than they were Naruto. Insanity can run in the family, and butchering one's family is a special kind of crazy.

Kakashi saw the elder Sage trying to watch the Uzumaki twins, as Naruto claimed them to be several times that day. "Naruto seems pretty well adjusted, and if anything his cousin's arrival should do wonders for him. Any psychological trauma that may have been caused by his isolation could be healed, at least to a degree now that he has family around. You are going to need to keep a focus on Sasuke, even though you don't want to. With Orochimaru on the move the way he is it wouldn't surprise me if he makes a move to take the boy, especially if his bloodline powers awaken. I'll take care of Naruto if that's alright with you," the old ninja's order wasn't well received. It was necessary though.

"I figured you might want to teach him. Is that what you are here for now?" Kakashi sighed. He'd get Naruto as a genin, but Jiraiya would naturally want train the son of his greatest student. It was better than nothing at all.

"Well it is kind of late, and I don't want to interrupt these precious family moments," Jiraiya laughed as the pair of ninja watched Naruto run around his apartment carrying as many cups of instant ramen as his tiny arms could carry while Yurushi, covered in a coating of what looked to be flour, was pursuing. "I plan on staying the rest of the week or so, and I'll teach the boys a thing or two while I'm here."

Just as Kakashi's guest stood to leave Yurushi, still coated in flour, rushed onto the apartment balcony with an armful of instant ramen cups in his arms, and threatened to drop them over the ledge. Naruto came outside and was groveling at Yurushi's feet pleading his surrender. Terms were exchanged, accepted, and at the end Naruto stood yawning and sported a rather satisfied grin on his face.

"Well I'd better head off. Take care Kakashi," the perverted Sage sped away to do Kami knows what with the remainder of his evening. Kakashi returned his attention to the scene from Naruto's bedroom window. Illuminated by moonlight he could see Yurushi tucking his cousin in for a goodnight's rest. It was strange how much of an adult Uzumaki Yurushi seemed to be. Whatever upbringing the boy had produced incredible results, but robbed the youth of his sense of childhood freedom. Perhaps, it was for the best. Naruto needed someone responsible, a good example, and a form of stability in his life. Everything Kakashi could not be at the moment.

Kakashi looked up at the full moon. Its soft light radiated over the village, and he figured that now was as good a time as any to retire for the day. Nothing was certain in the shinobi world, but should Kakashi wake to greet the day he knew one thing. '_Everything is changing so quickly._'

* * *

It was a peaceful morning. Yurushi was finishing his sword maintenance on the roof of the apartment complex. The landlord had been displeased when he learned that Yurushi began practicing his katas on the roof, but said it was no trouble when Yurushi _demonstrated_ just how good he was with a blade. Yurushi had already checked with the other tenants of the building just to see if his morning rituals were causing any disturbance. All of them had claimed no issue with his practice.

Double checking the edge of the katana his master gave him, Yurushi sheathed it after he found it satisfactory. He was still adjusting to the added length and weight, but it was something that would come quickly with practice. He had contemplated wielding his wakizashi in the off hand, but ultimately decided against it. Doing so would likely throw off his balance and his precision might suffer as a result, and any loss of precision was unacceptable. Should he ever acquire a second wakizashi then perhaps dual wielding would be a good option.

His time in the village thus far had been tenuous at best. Naruto had been more than welcoming, and took to his presence as though he had always been there. The blond haired ruffian was an odd boy, but he had a genuineness and kind hearted nature. Clearly, a life without supervision had left him starving for attention. The reasons for this were still a mystery, and Yurushi had determined to dedicate time in the near future to solving that mystery. Still, people's overall attitudes toward his cousin were troubling. They were beginning to treat him in a similar fashion, guilt by association perhaps.

It was stunning to him that his blond roommate had simply accepted the Hokage's claim at face value. The letter from his mother to Sensei had suggested that the only family that still resided in Konoha was a cousin of hers, a single cousin with no children of her own. This boy bore no resemblance to any physical description Katsushiro-sensei had ever given him of a typical Uzumaki. Of course, according to the clan's history, the Uzumaki had become scattered to the winds which likely would result in a diluted bloodline. This is not to say that Yurushi valued a pure bloodline, but was curious as to how the Hokage could be so sure when Naruto himself didn't know his own parent's names. There was something being actively hidden from the both of them. They weren't really cousins. More like second cousins at the least, but simply saying cousins created much less confusion.

Still, there was something rather comforting to Yurushi when Naruto would introduce them as the _Uzumaki twins_. It made him wonder why the starry-eyed kid would want to step into the dark world of the shinobi. Naruto had a dream to one day be Hokage, and only a ninja could become the Hokage. Yurushi may not have had anything else of value in the village, but if the Hokage was to be trusted then he had family. His mother's example had taught him a lesson: family was something worth fighting and dying for. However, as he reentered the apartment, he could hear an all too familiar sound. With Naruto's snoring resonating in his ears, Yurushi began to make some breakfast for the two of them.

"You can't become a ninja if you sleep through your Academy classes," Yurushi yelled aloud with no positive results.

Granted, it was still early and Naruto had plenty of time before class started, but that wasn't the point. Those blond locks of his would practically fuse themselves to the pillow at night and would not let go until noon. Yurushi was used to greeting the dawn, and that habit simply became a lifestyle. Naruto had spent all of his life doing whatever he wanted whenever he wanted to, and while he enjoyed having Yurushi around they clashed frequently. Just the other night the whisker faced boy wouldn't leave him alone. Yurushi had been trying to read some of the scrolls on fūinjutsu that his mother had given him. He didn't understand much if anything, but he wasn't going to stop trying until he discovered what this key was for.

Naruto, on the other hand, believed that Yurushi was wasting his time being boring, and in response started to wrestle with him. After Yurushi had believed him to have given up Naruto kept right on and dumped a full pound of flour on Yurushi. The blue eyed kid only gave up when his ramen supply was in jeopardy, something worth noting. The cleanup for that little stunt Naruto pulled took quite a bit of time. With breakfast nearly prepared Yurushi hoped he didn't have to wake Naruto using his more _forceful_ methods.

"Morning," yawned Naruto as he stumbled into the humble eat in kitchen.

"Good morning to you as well," Yurushi responded.

"Aww, eggs and fruit? Why don't you ever make ramen?" the boy complained.

"I never learned how to make ramen. Besides, ramen is not the most appropriate choice for breakfast," Yurushi returned. It was amazing how his cousin could eat the noodled concoction for every meal.

"You should learn, then I could compare your ramen to Ichiraku ramen," Yurushi could swear he saw drool escaping Naruto's lips as he spoke.

A knock at the door broke the conversation. Yurushi opened the door to find a tall man, a really tall man standing there. He had spiky white hair with bangs touching the tops of his shoulders. There was a piece of horned headgear bearing the kanji for oil resting on his forehead. It was not the standard hitai-ate worn by the shinobi of this village, but Yurushi didn't rule out the possibility that this man was a ninja. His dress was that of an olive green short shirt style kimono and pants of a matching color. The red haori was clearly just for style's sake, but possibly there in case a more formal occasion arose. Tied to his back was a very large scroll that Yurushi assumed was fairly cumbersome to carry around everywhere.

"Hey kid," the older man began with a smirk, "is Naruto home?"

Yurushi looked over to where Naruto was sitting at the table. It was a small apartment, the man had a strong voice, and his cousin had a look on his face that screamed confusion. Clearly, Naruto was listening. Yurushi nodded in response, but remained silent. He was hoping to glean some clue from Naruto as to how he should handle the situation. Naruto rarely attracted positive responses from people, and Yurushi wasn't certain this was anything different.

"Well are you going to invite me in or just stand there looking stupid?" The jovial man laughed.

"Um, may I ask who you are exactly?" Yurushi asked hesitantly. He didn't want to just let some random stranger in the home. Naruto hadn't moved or otherwise responded in a way that gave Yurushi any ease.

The man looked up and down the hall way he was standing in, and Yurushi thought he heard him mutter something about not having enough room to do something right. The elder's shoulders dropped and he hung his head with a sigh.

"The name is Jiraiya," he answered. "You'll have to ask me again when we get outside so I can introduce myself correctly."

Naruto had moved closer to the door which Yurushi took to be a sign of curiosity and allowed the strange man entrance. As the man met Naruto's eyes he smiled widely. "Hey, how would you two like the opportunity of lifetime?"

Naruto nodded quietly with a smile growing on his face. Yurushi was still suspicious and grasped the hilt of his katana.

"How would you two like it if I taught you some really cool jutsu?" the strange man asked.

"Yeah!" Naruto shouted gleefully. "That would be awesome!"

"I'm sorry sir, but Naruto must attend class," Yurushi answered firmly while holding the door open motioning for their guest to leave.

"What?" Naruto cried. "This guy could probably teach us all kinds of stuff that the Academy won't, so it's way better than going to my boring class."

"Well, I kinda pulled some strings and got Naruto a leave of absence for the rest of the week." Yurushi motioned to his sword again, and the elder shinobi held his hands up holding a piece of paper. "It's all on the up and up I swear! I even have a note signed by the Hokage."

Yurushi quickly grabbed and examined the note with a careful eye. "Well can we go? Can we please?" Naruto begged.

It did look quite official. The Hokage's signature was quite clear on the note as was the signature of one Umino Iruka which meant Naruto's Sensei had been made aware. If this man really was a ninja, and he really did want to teach Naruto something, then Naruto could greatly profit from individual instruction.

"Fine, but I would like to tag along. Just to be sure Naruto is alright," Yurushi answered as his cousin started jumping for joy.

"I was going to teach you a thing or two as well Yurushi," Jiraiya said and started heading out the apartment door. "When you two are ready meet me on training field three, and be ready to work."

As Yurushi closed the door Naruto was already getting himself prepared for the sudden change in his schedule. Running a hand through his hair, Yurushi tried to guess how this strange man had known his name. Nothing came to mind and the elder of the _Uzumaki twins_ could only imagine how crazy the following week would possibly be.

* * *

Yurushi was beginning to get annoyed. Naruto was still star struck, but Yurushi was starting to feel like they had been duped. They had arrived at training ground three five minutes ago and there had been no sign of this Jiraiya figure. Suddenly, a large cloud of smoke erupted right in front of where he and his cousin were standing.

"From the East to the West the winds whisper my name," a loud audible voice called out. Clearly, this Jiraiya character was a man given to theatrics. Yurushi was unimpressed.

"From the North to the South the nations fear my skill," the man continued unseen. Something large collided with the earth causing the ground to shake briefly.

"Men tremble beneath my might, and women swoon at the sound of my voice. From the holy Mount Myoboku," the man continued and the smoke was beginning to disperse. Nothing visible as of yet, but the outlines of something rather large was becoming clear.

"So cool," Naruto whispered quietly. The boy was enthralled, and while Yurushi refused to give this man his approval of this unbidden display of bravado, he could understand why his younger cousin was glued to the scene.

"It is I! The one, the only, the Gama Sennin, Jiraiya!" The elder said as he became visible amidst the remaining smoke. He stood in a theatrical pose upon the head of a very large toad with one hand outstretched. The toad, amazingly enough, was mimicking the action.

"Sennin?" Naruto wondered aloud.

"This man claims that he is a sage, but I don't believe that a sage would be such a braggart," Yurushi stated. The comment caused Jiraiya to fall from his perch in shock.

"Well Gama I kids these days just don't appreciate a good entrance," the white haired man said to the toad while patting its head. "I guess you can go home now."

With a puff of smoke the toad was gone and Jiraiya marched over to where Yurushi was standing with his cousin. The way he walked, the look on his face, the confidence in his stride and the seriousness in his eyes told Yurushi that he was getting down to business now. It reminded Yurushi of Katsushiro-sensei, and Yurushi decided that he would give the man the benefit of the doubt from this point on.

"Alright I am here to teach you two and get you on the right path to becoming excellent shinobi," Jiraiya said.

"But I'm already an awesome shinobi. I'll be Hokage soon, and then you'll know how awesome I am!" Naruto protested. He was obviously defending his self-image, but surely the boy had to know that he wasn't as good as he thought he was.

"Really?" Jiraiya asked in a dramatic fashion. "I looked at your grades, and I have to say that the only thing _awesome_ about you is how thoroughly you are failing."

Naruto hung his head in shame, and Jiraiya unleashed a good laugh, "Don't worry kid! That's what I'm here for. I'll get both of you in tip top shape." Naruto perked up at this, while Yurushi allowed only mild curiosity to appear on his face. "Now to get started, Naruto I want you to go under that tree under there and spend time meditating."

"Meditate! I already know how to meditate! Iruka-sensei taught me that. I thought you said you were going to teach me a really cool jutsu!" The blond blurted in a hint of fury and disappointment.

"That comes later. You show me that you have mastered the basics, and then I will teach you a really cool jutsu. I would not tell you to do this if it wasn't important. Trust me kid. I trained the Yondaime Hokage, if anyone knows how to train a great ninja it's me."

"You trained the Yondaime?" Naruto practically squealed with amazement.

"Yes I did. Now listen to your Sensei and go meditate!" Jiraiya pointed toward the tree.

"Yes sir!" Naruto declared with a salute, and ran off to accomplish his task.

"Now as for you," Yurushi could feel the weight of his stare, and he knew that Jiraiya was more of taskmaster than he was letting on with Naruto. "I hear that your taijutsu is barely passable. I also need to know just how capable you are with hand seals, chakra control, and a few other things."

"Aren't you going to train Naruto at all?" Yurushi thought Jiraiya's attentions were better placed right now.

"He is training. That kid can barely sit still. Chakra is a balance between physical and spiritual energies. Part of the reason he has trouble with his ninjutsu in the Academy is because he doesn't have a grasp on that balance. Meditation is the best way to get a feel on where that balance is, and how to maintain it. If Naruto can show me that he has the patience to finish his meditation exercises, then I'll move him on to more advanced training. After lunch I'll bring him over here and you two can spar with each other."

From that moment on Yurushi was being run through the wringer, and it almost felt like Katsushiro-sensei was training him again, almost.

* * *

The first few days were rough, but now everything was going smoothly. Naruto sat under what he had come to know as his _meditation tree_. At first he was nothing but antsy, and it was difficult for him to sit there for hours on end. Jiraiya-sensei came over every once in a while to explain what he should be feeling, but Naruto didn't quite get it.

Honestly, he was a little jealous of his cousin for a while. Jiraiya was focusing on Yurushi's training while, it seemed, that he had been left underneath the tree to watch. Then Jiraiya-sensei explained that he already knew the full extent of Naruto's skills and was fairly confident in some of Naruto's abilities. Jiraiya-sensei explained that his cousin had no real training in the Shinobi Arts, but was trained as a samurai for his entire life. '_It's just so cool! My cousin is a really awesome samurai, and I'm going to be Hokage! When I do we'll make the best team for sure!_'

Now, Naruto was getting the hang of this meditation thing. It was difficult to explain with words. It was like everything in his head was quiet, and he felt calm on the inside. '_Peaceful. Yeah, that's it, peaceful._'

"I think you've got it down there kid," Jiraiya's voice rang out and Naruto opened his eyes to see the man smiling on him. The old Sage always seemed to smile at him when he was doing well. "Give me a second and I'll show you what I need you to master next."

Naruto frowned. It was already Thursday, and Jiraiya said he had to leave on Saturday. Three days into the training, and there had been no jutsu like he was promised. He couldn't quite say he hadn't learned something. Jiraiya had him practice his Kawarimi no Jutsu, Henge no Jutsu, and his Bunshin no Jutsu after each set of meditation exercises. He was beginning to find it easier to replace himself with the ever trusty log using the Kawarimi, and he did a near perfect imitation of Yurushi with the Henge, but his Bunshin still created the most pitiful looking clones. Nevertheless, he was improving and he could feel it. After he practiced his jutsu, Jiraiya would often have him spar with Yurushi.

The past two days of really sparring with Yurushi were much different than their usual wrestling matches. The most obvious difference was the speed his cousin moved with. Yurushi was fast, really fast. Much faster than that jerk Sasuke. Another thing that he learned was that Yurushi's speed was really about all that he had as far as taijutsu goes. His cousin knew the basics, but according to Jiraiya-sensei, didn't really do much to develop. '_I guess that makes sense, 'cause he does spend a lot of time practicing with his swords._'

When not checking in on him, Jiraiya-sensei spent most of his time with Yurushi. At first they were doing some really cool looking stuff where Jiraiya would have Yurushi do some basic jutsu. Every once in a while they would spar, and occasionally Jiraiya would let Yurushi use his swords. Since, yesterday the two hadn't really done anything but read scrolls. That was boring, but they kept repeating a certain word that Naruto could not seem to recall. _'What was it again? Oh yeah! That's it!'_

"Hey Jiraiya-sensei, when are you gonna teach me that fanjutsu stuff that your teaching my cousin?" Naruto asked eagerly.

"You can't even pronounce it correctly," Jiraiya groaned as he hid his face behind his palm.

"Alright feignjutsu then," Naruto corrected himself as Jiraiya groaned a little more loudly.

"Funjutsu?" Naruto asked. He was at a loss now. At this point he just wanted to know what the thing was called.

"It's called fūinjutsu," Jiraiya corrected. "I'm teaching him the basics of sealing techniques, and I don't think you would want to learn that."

"What? Why not? If Yurushi can do it then so can I!" Naruto declared indignantly.

"I don't doubt you could learn it kid," Jiraiya-sensei responded with a laugh. "I just don't think you'd want to. Tell me, how much do you know about chakra theory, biochemistry, and physics?"

"Uh, what?" Naurto asked. He was dumbfounded. Honestly, he didn't know what half of those words were, let alone the subjects they were supposed to be.

"Right," Jiraiya said suggestively. "How good is your penmanship? Do you have a steady hand when you practice your calligraphy?"

"Calligra-what?" Naruto was utterly lost. He had only the vaguest of clues as to what this guy was talking about.

"That's what I thought," Jiraiya seemed satisfied with the point he was making so far, but Naruto didn't understand what he was trying to say. "How would you like to spend hours reading, studying, and learning all of that stuff in order to truly become a master of fūinjutsu?"

"No way!" Naruto declared shaking his head in the negative waving his hands in a similar fashion. That was boring. All he wanted was to learn a super cool ninjutsu and clean house when he got back to the Academy.

"Then trust me kid, fūinjutsu isn't your style. Now, do you know the leaf concentration exercise?" Jiraiya asked snapping Naruto's attention back to his newfound Sensei instead of in his own thoughts.

"Yeah," Naruto admitted a little shyly. "Iruka-sensei usually makes me do that if he gives me a detention."

"Good, now here is what I want you to do," Jiraiya-sensei said as he reached up and plucked two leaves from the overhanging tree and held them in front of Naruto's face. "I want you to do what you did during detention, but with two leaves. The real difference is that you are going to have one leaf stuck on the soul each foot."

"On my feet?" Naruto questioned. It was such an odd request. Iruka-sensei said that the leaf concentration exercise wasn't really much of a chakra control exercise, but something to teach him to focus. Given how many times he has had to perform the exercise it really didn't teach him focus either.

"Yeah, if you can get both of them to stick to each one of your feet at the same time, using only your chakra, then I will teach you that jutsu I promised," as soon as Jiraiya had concluded his initial thought Naruto snapped the leaves from the older man's hands and repositioned to a more comfortable seated position where the leaves had easy access to the souls of his feet.

"I'll have this mastered in no time!" Naruto declared as Jiraiya left with a smile.

'_No matter what, I will be Hokage someday!_' Naruto thought as he set to the task that was before him.

* * *

Jiraiya seemed intimately focused on the scroll in front of him. Yurushi had never expected the incredibly _eccentric_ man to carry a rather dizzying intellect. Just like Katsushiro-sensei, Jiraiya was a man of many secrets.

"You picked up the art much quicker than I ever did. Every doubt I had about you being an Uzumaki has been blown out of the water," Jiraiya said as he set the parchment on the ground. "You seem to have a prodigious level of talent for fūinjutsu."

"Well I must admit that you explained it all very well. You seem to have a knack for teaching people the art, Jiraiya-sensei" Yurushi said with a smirk. It was still awkward calling another man Sensei, but with each passing day Jiraiya had proved himself worthy of the title. Even though he didn't give Naruto that much individualized training, Naruto seemed to have improved exponentially during the past four days. He had yet to master Jiraiya's final challenge, and today was the last day Jiraiya could spend teaching them. If Naruto was going to learn that jutsu he had been bribed with then he would have to be quick.

"If you're talking about how I taught the Yondaime, then I can't take credit for that. I was the guy's Sensei when he was a genin, and he was just a kid back then. I taught him the basics and he did most of the rest on his own," Yurushi's new Sensei admitted. "Heck, when it comes to fūinjutsu, he taught me most of what I know. The only thing I can take credit for was being his inspiration to become Hokage in the first place. Frankly, that is more than enough."

Yurushi looked over the work he had accomplished on the scroll. It was a seal made for storage. The design was such that it could hold inorganic matter as well as most organic matter, but living things were not safe for transport. The size of the object that could be contained was dependent on the amount of chakra one was willing to use during the act of storage. It wasn't as intricate as the seal that had been used on him a few years earlier, but it was of his own design and for that fact alone, he was proud of it.

"How about we get started on some paper bombs?" Jiraiya suggested holding up a few slips of paper.

"Um, alright," Yurushi agreed tentatively. While Jiraiya had previously stated that this was an early stepping stone of mastering the basics, making high grade explosives was a touch different than making a glorified suitcase. "Could we go over everything one more time, just so I know it?"

"Sure," Jiraiya said while unfurling a scroll. "I'll quiz you on what you should already know while you study this. This is the sealing array for the standard paper bomb seal used in Konohagakure. What is a sealing array?"

"The sealing array is the full design of the seal, and it determines precisely how the chakra used will be molded and manipulated. The sealing array is often called the key to a seal because that is the seal's blueprint. By making or understanding a key one knows precisely how the seal should interact with the chakra used, the sealed object, and what it is sealed in. One would also understand how to disable the seal or unseal something safely if generic methods don't work," Yurushi answered while admiring the simple elegance of the paper bomb sealing array.

"Very good, what is a sealing tag?" Jiraiya asked.

"The sealing tag is the remnants of the sealing array after it has been applied. It is a snapshot of what the seal's purpose is and how the array has been designed," Yurushi was amazed at the array he was studying. As best he could tell the seal contained the explosion that the paper bomb produces, and releases it on a time delay after the chakra is applied to the tag is activated with the appropriate hand seal. Exactly what explosion was contained, Yurushi had yet to determine.

"Correct. The sealing tag is something that separates the casual practitioner and the fūinjutsu master in two ways. The first is that the master can largely determine the form and function of a seal's array just by examining the tag," Jiraiya punctuated by holding up one finger. Lifting a second he continued "the second is that a true master of fūinjutsu can place a seal without drawing up a new sealing array each time. How does one accomplish that?"

Yurushi had to think about this one. The array of a seal worked like a blueprint that told the chakra being used what to do in order to achieve the desired result. The entire art was little more than the application of chakra theory. Theoretically, every seal was capable of being used without a sealing tag or array at all. Of course theory is not often practical seeing as how if this were used for every technique in place of a permanent seal, the sealed object would either be immediately unsealed or irretrievable. All that the design of a seal did was mold chakra in ways that the user could not, whether the reasons be physical or situational. Epiphany, Yurushi had his answer. "A fūinjutsu master can place a seal without drawing the array by learning which hand seals are required to mold their chakra in order to create the seal freely."

"Bingo, nice work kid," Jiraiya said with a smirk. "This is one of the things that made the Yondaime Hokage so famous. He utilized fūinjutsu to create incredibly powerful jikūkan on the fly by knowing the necessary hand seals. He got so proficient with one in particular that he needed only to touch something to apply the sealing tag."

Yurushi arched an eyebrow at this. Jiraiya taught a true master of fūinjutsu, and someone who became so adept at the art that he could apply a sealing tag with but a touch. Not just any seal either, but something that would warp the very fabrics of space-time. It was a frustrating notion that such a level of skill was attainable, while he still couldn't figure out what explosion was contained in the paper bomb. He had to know, and so his curiosity destroyed his desire to learn it for himself. "Jiraiya-sensei, what exactly creates the explosion that is contained in the paper bomb seal?"

"Oh, that?" The Toad Sage answered with a wicked smile. "The paper itself creates the explosion."

Yurushi couldn't believe that, and didn't try to hide the sentiment on his face, but Jiraiya swore up and down that it did. Yurushi doubted that until Jiraiya took one of the blank sheets and set it away at a considerable distance. He then created a something called a Kage Bunshin which proceeded to grumble at the order to use a particular Katon technique on the paper. Doing so resulted in a small sizable explosion that filled Yurushi with amazement. This was partly from the sight of an explosion, and partly because Jiraiya was correct.

"How is that even possible?" Yurushi asked.

"It's pretty simple really," Jiraiya answered as he sat back down to explain. "When the paper is being created certain compounds are added to make it extremely volatile. The paper itself is actually quite chakra resistant by nature and so only a high level Katon technique could trigger it externally. The sealing array is designed to contain a small spark or flame created when the seal is first applied, and the chakra needed to trigger the explosion. When the chakra that the seal contains is activated the seal begins to breakdown which weakens the barrier between the fire and the paper. It will do that until the explosion has nowhere to go but out, and then… boom!"

"That doesn't sound simple," Yurushi was kind of lost. "If the paper is chakra resistant then how does the seal even work?"

"It's all in the seal's design kid. The seal itself is a lot like a storage seal. The array is built to store enough chakra to overcome the natural resistance of the paper. It's a low level technique because the array does all of the real work, but chūnin and above are the ones that make the explosives because genin don't typically have enough chakra to make more than five paper bombs a day." Jiraiya said rather smugly.

"That still doesn't explain how the paper itself doesn't resist the explosion if the fire is created with chakra," Yurushi still didn't fully understand, but it was nothing that research couldn't answer if Jiraiya didn't.

"Natural fire is entirely effective. A weak flame or a lighter could set this paper off, seal or not. Hell, I've even seen an ember trigger one once. Only a very powerful nature transformation could be stored in the seal and produce an effective explosion. I would say nothing less than a jōnin who has an affinity for katon and has mastered their element could pull that off. Still, without the seal the explosion isn't nearly as powerful. The one I showed you would have been at least twice as big if I had done it properly."

Yurushi was satisfied with the explanation, and the pair turned to see Naruto jumping with excitement ceaselessly repeating that he finally did it. Yurushi grinned at his cousin's success, as Jiraiya waved for him to come over.

"Sorry kid, but Naruto gets the rest of my time today. Keep the scrolls that I gave you. You're pretty astute for someone your age, so if you keep studying then you should be able to advance on your own," Jiraiya said with a grin as they watched Naruto run toward them wearing a face splitting smile. The man turned back to Yurushi for a quick glance "Just like the Yondaime, I point you in the right direction and you do the rest."

"Thank you Jiraiya-sensei," Yurushi replied with a deep bow. Despite the elder ninja's occasional _antics_, he was worthy of respect in that Jiraiya had taught him quite well. More so, Jiraiya had laid the foundations so he could learn the Uzumaki sealing style. Further still, Jiraiya believed he was as capable as his most famous student. Even in such a short period of time, Jiraiya had earned the right to be called sensei without any qualms.

Jiraiya stood and Naruto lifted his feet to find the leaves were firmly attached to the souls of his sandals. "See," the boy said "now do I get to learn the jutsu?"

"Yeah, yeah," Jiraiya replied feigning annoyance. "I'll teach you like I promised. Before I start I have some conditions for you, so listen up runt."

Naruto frowned at the name, but listened attentively. "First," Jiraiya began listing, "you cannot use this technique in the Academy unless specifically instructed. Second, you can't show off to your friends using this jutsu. Third, you can't tell anyone except for the Hokage that you know this technique until you become a genin. Lastly, you _cannot_ use it when you are training or studying by yourself."

"Aww, that's like saying I can't use it at all," Naruto complained. "What's the fun in that?"

"This is serious business kid. A ninja has to keep his trump cards a secret, and if I can't trust you enough to do what I say then I can't trust you enough to teach you everything I've learned over the years. If you can follow the rules I set for you, then I will know I can trust you enough to teach you more. I probably won't be back for a few years, but if you followed my rules and you don't graduate as the dead last of your class, then I'll teach you another awesome jutsu when I'm in town," Jiraiya bribed. It was clever to incentivize Naruto in such a way, and Yurushi wished that he had thought of it himself. Yet, threatening the ramen supply seemed to be an equally effective motivation at times, but even that would have its limits.

"I'll do it!" Naruto declared.

"Now, from what I've seen you suck at the Bunshin no Jutsu," Jiraiya said matter-of-factly and Naruto sulked. "I have a way around that little problem."

Jiriaya placed the index and middle fingers of both hands in a cross shaped hand seal, which Yurushi knew was far from a traditional hand seal. He briefly wondered how many _nonstandard_ hand seals existed because Katsushiro-sensei taught him several during their time together. There were so many different ways to mold chakra.

"It's called the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu," and three very real clones of Jiraiya sprung into existence. Yurushi was suddenly grateful Jiraiya added those rules. Naruto clones running around would drive him insane.

* * *

**That's it for this chapter. It has been the longest chapter I've written so far, but there was so much I needed to get done and breaking it up just didn't feel right. The chapters I have finished from here on out are in much more manageable lengths. Keep posted and let me know what you think.**


	5. Enrollment Day

**Chapter 5: Enrollment Day**

"That is part of the beauty of all literature. You discover that your longings are universal longings, that you're not lonely and isolated from anyone. You belong." - F. Scott Fitzgerald

* * *

The classroom was quite peaceful during the hour before school began. After finishing his katas on the roof in the early morning and fixing a light breakfast, Yurushi had found a simple routine in just going to the Academy after eating. In the week since Jiraiya-sensei had left Naruto had become rather driven to succeed in his schooling. The child still refused to rise at what he considered to be a decent hour, but there was no longer a struggle to get Naruto up for school. Yurushi didn't know what results were being produced in the classroom, but time would tell how the bewhiskered boy was fairing on that front.

_Strange is the sunrise_

The brush strokes were crisp and clear against the fresh white background of the paper. His poetry had been his sanctuary in the past month. Life in this village was different. Not necessarily bad, but different, and a far cry from anything he was comfortable with. He longed for life on the road. His heart ached for the quiet trips down paths where few feet trod, and the silent connection that he and Katsushiro-sensei shared. There wasn't anything else like that to be found in this place. There was noise everywhere, and silence came only at night while his cousin rested and the world lay still. When the sun rose in the morning, however, it rose in the same place, gave light to the same streets, and illuminated how different everything would be from here on out.

The first week he had to adjust to Naruto and learning about the boy who was proved to be his cousin. Naruto was a person that wore you down. He seemed to be endlessly energetic, easily excitable, and utterly exhausting. Yet, he was so genuine it was difficult not to appreciate his company. Jiraiya-sensei had shown up and given him another change of pace to adjust to. He had learned a great deal about the shinobi and was taught several things which Katsushiro-sensei had not known. While he felt quite prepared for life in the Academy, Yurushi was not entirely certain of what to expect.

What he found was an interesting mix of childhood social life and killers in training. There seemed to be little balance between the two either. The class instructor, a chūnin named Mizuki, did little to discourage the immaturity of several of the students as Katsushiro-sensei had done with him. Most of the students didn't quite know what to do with his arrival, and Yurushi wasn't quite sure what to do with them either. While he had hoped that he could make a few friends, he didn't want to force that desire upon someone else. As a result he did nothing, and waited to see who would make the first move. Some students also took this wait and see approach, pretending that he had always been there or was not there at all. To a few others, the girls in the class, he was an object of their affection or something of that nature. Those sentiments didn't help him feel welcome at all. He simply felt out of place.

_A room now in disarray_

Still, the truth lay here in this village. Somewhere, the answers that he wanted could be found, that much was certain to him. For now, that was reason enough to stay. If it were not important Katsushiro-sensei would not have presented him with his sword. If it were not was his mission then Katsushiro-sensei would not have given the order. So, even if he did not belong, he would stay. Yurushi would stay until he learned the truth of his mother, his clan, and his place within their legacy. It was all he could do to honor her sacrifice.

He heard noise in the back of the classroom. He didn't move to see who it was, he already knew. A boy wearing the gi of a martial artist took his seat on the other end of the room by the window. Rock Lee was his name, and he was about as out of place in the ninja world as Yurushi was. Lee had no talent, no clan, and did not seem to posses the ability to use ninjutsu. Still, there he sat. Just like every day, a half an hour early to class. The boy tried his hardest, but he always failed. He continued to sweat, strive, and struggle only to be mocked by his classmates. It was a strange thing, but he saw the same spark in Lee that he saw growing in Naruto. Lee possessed an unyielding passion to achieve his goals. Even though they never spoke with one another, Yurushi was confident that Lee could achieve his dreams if he could find the right teacher. After all, Mizuki had said in his lecture that the majority of ninja battles are decided with taijutsu, and that was an art that Lee could potentially grow in.

Mizuki walked in and set his lessons upon his desk and began writing on the board with a grumble in his voice. Yurushi couldn't quite hear what he was complaining about, but he assumed it was another one of the "lover's spats" that the young teacher shared with his girlfriend. No details were given, but that was the gist of his muttered comments. Once finished he turned and greeted the two early birds in a casual, but warm manner. Yurushi and Lee both responded in kind. He couldn't help but wonder why, but Yurushi felt something was off about his instructor. Katsushiro-sensei had always encouraged him to trust his gut instincts about people, and study them carefully. There was nothing terribly unusual about the man, but that was the most disturbing thought. He had sparred with Mizuki during their taijutsu lesson, and he was much more skilled than Iruka was. The difference was quite significant, and yet he was a middle-of-the road ninja teaching children. It was curious.

As more and more students began to file in, he couldn't quite find the last line for his poem. This was something that was happening more frequently than he would prefer; certainly more frequently than had happened before living in Konohagakure. Dozens of unfinished poems sat on his desk at home. This was mostly courtesy of Naruto's boredom, but some of it was caused by another reason. He had yet to figure out why his writer's block was happening or what was causing it, but he suspected that it was connected to how he felt out of place. Yurushi looked up from the page to see a girl staring at him. Her face was one of frustration, but there was no explanation for it. The way this girl was looking at him was as if he should know why she was angry. There were others flanking her, and they all wore similar scowls.

"You're in his seat," she said with venom.

"I don't know what you are talking about," Yurushi replied with honesty hoping that they would leave him alone. It was not meant to be.

"You do too!" another voice rang out from the group.

"You're in Neji-kun's seat," the ring leader said again.

Clarity was brought to the situation and Yurushi finally understood what was happening. Hyūga Neji was the top of the class, an elite shinobi in the making, and apparently the class heartthrob. _Neji-kun_ never gave any of these girls the time of day, and Yurushi couldn't blame him either. Still, that didn't deter the ravenous group of preteen girls in their attempts at winning his affection. They had only become more defensive of their desired boyfriend's reputation since he had apparently caused a schism in their group.

"You think you're so cool, but Neji-kun is the best!" the leader proclaimed with affirmation from her supporters.

"There is no way that you'll beat Neji-kun," said another girl from the crowd.

"Yeah, Neji-kun will totally put you in your place during the taijutsu lesson today," the leader declared with blind confidence.

Yurushi had seen the boy fight, and Neji was gifted in the art of taijutsu. Still, it was a challenge, a mark to measure himself against. His taijutsu had improved with Jiraiya-sensei's guidance, but he was aware that it was far from one of his strengths. Katsushiro-sensei had told him that people are to be measured by their weaknesses not by their strengths. As such, the fight against Neji would help him gauge just how much Jiraiya's training regimen had helped.

"I suppose we will find out in due time," Yurushi responded as several icy stares settled on him, and were suddenly broken when the girls were distracted. Their gaze had been drawn to the entrance to the class. Their _Neji-kun_ had arrived.

"Look Neji-kun!" the leader shouted pointing at Yurushi. "This guy stole your seat, and he won't move!"

The dark crimson haired boy turned to see Neji's pupil-less eyes were studying him carefully. There was no emotion on his face, but he maintained his impassive composure. There was a slight nod, a greeting perhaps, which Yurushi returned.

"Fool," Neji said not quite under his breath as he went to claim a seat near the window in the back row. As best he could tell, there was no ill will being thrown in his direction. It seemed that _Neji-kun_ just wanted nothing to do with his fan club.

"See that, loser?" The leader of the group of girls said with a grin. "Neji-kun doesn't even think you're worth his time. You can have that seat. It's probably tainted now anyway."

The girls moved on, no longer interested in him and with relief Yurushi returned his attention to his unfinished poem. He heard some movement behind him, and sighed as he realized that he may not finish this poem either.

"Sorry about all of that," a girl offered in sympathy. She wore a qipao styled blouse that was a sky blue. Her eyes pierced into him with the strength of steel. They were not harsh, but the grey eyes seemed to be tempered. She was a determined one who had something to prove, and Yurushi wondered what she was trying to prove, and to whom. Her short bangs fell freely on her forehead while the majority of her brown hair was tied up into twin buns on the back of her head. "Those girls just don't know skill when they see it."

"They were no real trouble," Yurushi answered, and it was almost true. The girls were far too annoying, but other than that were mostly harmless.

"That's the point. They are just embarrassing, and if they spent as much time training as they did obsessing over Neji then no one would ever doubt how strong a kunoichi could be," she said with restrained frustration. "Where are my manners? The name's Tenten."

She offered her hand as a gesture of greeting, and Yurushi shook it. "My name is Uzumaki Yurushi."

"Nice swords," Tenten said with a grin and a gesture toward the wakazashi and katana strapped to his waist. "Do you mind if I check one out? I'm something of a weapon's specialist and love learning different weapon styles."

Carefully he handed the girl his katana, and to his own surprise, she received it with equal care. She drew it and examined the blade much as he would after he completed his routine maintenance. "It's got a nice balance to it, and it seems as if it has seen some combat before, but the blade doesn't appear to have many stress fractures. It's been maintained very well."

"It was given to me by my master, and it had been his for many years. He was a samurai during the Third Shinobi War and saw some combat in Iwagakure," Yurushi explained to perhaps the only person he had met so far who would appreciate the history of his most prized possession. "From the stories he told me, my master even served with the Daimyō's honor guard."

"That's really cool," she responded sheathing the katana and returning it to him. She waved, seemingly to no one, and Yurushi turned to look at whoever Tenten had just greeted. It was another girl with shoulder length white hair. She had quizzical looking violet eyes that were fixed on Tenten, as if asking a silent question. The girl looked at him briefly and smiled. Yurushi smiled back, a bit sheepishly, and was about to introduce himself.

"Tenten, aren't you going to sit with me? Class is going to start any minute now," the girl asked.

"Yeah I was just talking to the new kid, and apologizing for Neji's fan club," the girl joked brazenly as a wicked looking grin formed on her once sweet face "but now that you're here let me make some introductions. Yukimura Hanami say hello to Uzumaki Yurushi."

"Nice to meet you," Yurushi calmly took initiative.

"It is a pleasure to meet you Yurushi-san," she responded with a bow in what seemed to be a very well-practiced greeting. The greeting compounded with her uncommon physical features, it was quite evident that this girl had a clan background of some variety.

"The pleasure is mine, but you do not need such formality with me," Yurushi responded coolly. Tenten quietly excused herself, and Yurushi picked up his brush hoping that inspiration would strike soon.

"Are you writing a poem?" the white haired girl asked.

"I'm trying to, but the last line of the haiku I started has been eluding me," Yurushi answered with a furrowed brow. He thought he had something, but he wasn't sure if it fit.

"Well, I'm going to go join Tenten. Good luck with figuring it out Yurushi," she said and he met her violet eyes. There was something about her. He wasn't quite sure what it was, but he had the feeling that they would speak again, perhaps on a more frequent basis. That idea was something he could agree with; the idea of having a real friend.

"Thank you, I'll see you later," Yurushi said questioningly as Hanami got up to leave.

"Yeah, I'll talk to you later," the girl smiled warmly. "Oh, and I'll be rooting for you when you spar with Neji today. I hope you win. Neji needs to learn some humility, and a loss might just teach him a little bit of it."

Her whispered vote of confidence made him feel good about the coming spar. Not that he was going to try and show off, or attempt to impress his classmates. He planned on giving his best effort just as he always did. That warm feeling came from the simple fact that someone his own age wanted him to succeed. A peer was hoping he would do well. A friend, perhaps, offered support and well wishes. He set the brush to paper and formed the last line of the poem.

_Missing pieces now found_

With satisfaction he returned his scroll and writing supplies to his pack as Mizuki began his first lecture of the day. Maybe, just maybe, he could find his place here in this strange new world.

* * *

She was upset at her situation, the idiot she was sitting next to, but mostly at herself. Her mother made her clean her room before she left for the Academy and it had cost her severely. Now, instead of sitting next to Sasuke-kun, she was stuck next to the bozo Naruto. She brushed a few stray strands of her long bubblegum pink locks behind her ear and settled in for what was sure to be a long and upsetting day.

Iruka-sensei had said that today was largely going to be a lecture day, which was good. Academics were her strong suit. Sure she performed well enough in the more physical aspects of the Academy's training, but in the classroom she shined. That pig Ino may have an upper hand in taijutsu, and occasionally bests her in the shuriken throwing, but here Sakura was unbeatable. Sasuke-kun would soon be able to see the true value of a woman with both beauty and brains.

'_Once I prove to Sasuke-kun that I'm obviously his best choice for a girlfriend he'll ask me out for sure. I just have to make sure that Ino doesn't get to him first,_' she thought to herself as Iruka began his lesson.

"Alright class," the chūnin instructor started, "who can remember where we left off in our history lesson yesterday?"

Sakura's hand was about to shoot into the air so she could answer the question. It may have been simple, but even the little things add up. The idiot sitting to her right decided that now was a good time to give her a nudge in her arm.

"Psst," he whispered, "Sakura-chan, do you have a pencil I can borrow?"

"Do you want to take notes, or are you trying to pull a prank Naruto?" Sakura quietly asked with as harsh a tone as she could while still being quiet. There had been a few instances where Naruto borrowed a pencil or a pen from an unsuspecting neighbor only to throw it at whatever Iruka-sensei was holding as if it were an improvised senbon needle. Usually he missed, but the times he had hit his mark were really funny. She couldn't laugh of course. First, she wouldn't give that moron the satisfaction of knowing she thought his pranks were hilarious. Second, Sasuke-kun never laughed at Naruto's pranks so she couldn't either if she wanted to impress him. If Sasuke-kun didn't have time for childish games then neither did she.

"I was gonna take notes, honest!" Naruto whispered back. "All I have is a pen, but if we get a pop quiz or something then I would make a big mess crossing out all of my mistakes. I'll even trade you the pen for a pencil if you are that worried about getting it back."

"That's correct Ino," Iruka-sensei spoke over the class serving to remind Sakura of her missed opportunity. Ino turned back toward the green eyed girl and stuck out her tongue, which made Sakura want to try and rip that ridiculously long blonde pony-tail off the back of her head "Last time we were discussing the major battles and events of the Second Shinobi World War."

"Please Sakura-chan," Naruto quietly pleaded.

If he really wanted to borrow a pencil it wasn't that big of a deal. He was a hopeless idiot for sure, but that didn't mean that she was going to keep him from trying. She really couldn't afford to be party to one of his pranks though. Otherwise Sasuke-kun would think she was a loser just like Naruto was. There was, however, something different about Naruto this past week. He seemed to be more focused. He was the same old loud mouthed braggart that he had always been, but he honestly appeared to be putting effort into his school work. He had yet to make any progress that she could tell, and he would probably give up when he realized he wasn't gaining ground, but the difference was becoming noticeable. She sighed slightly and grabbed a spare pencil that she had tucked away, just in case.

"Fine," Sakura said sliding the pencil over toward the blond haired menace, "but if anyone asks, you didn't get it from me. Got it?"

"Thanks Sakura-chan," Naruto responded with glee. The boy gave her a broad smile as he scratched the back of his head. "I owe ya one."

"Don't mention it," she mumbled under her breath, slightly embarrassed, "ever."

"Naruto," Iruka called out. "Did you know the answer to the question?"

Iruka-sensei sounded a little too hopeful to Sakura. '_Maybe he's noticed Naruto's changes in behavior too,_' she thought. '_Not that it's going to help Naruto get the question right though._'

"Umm, sorry Iruka-sensei I didn't really hear the question," Naruto admitted sparing a few glances toward her. "I was kinda daydreaming about, umm, uhhh, ramen."

'_Typical Naruto,_' Sakura thought as she heard a few of her classmates snicker at the boy's confession. She was grateful that he didn't admit her involvement in his distraction, but couldn't help but feel like burying her face into her hands. '_That boy has ramen on the brain twenty four seven._'

"I was just asking if anyone knew the names of the Sannin," Iruka-sensei clarified, "you know, the three legendary ninja."

Sakura studied Naruto's reaction. His brow was creased and folded while he was deep in thought. It was a perfect opportunity to one up that pig Ino. Once Naruto flopped she would swoop in with the right answer, and really impress Sasuke-kun. It was perfect. Loaning a pencil seemed to have paid back in dividends.

"Oh yeah! I remember now!" Naruto shouted, and Sakura balked. There was no way he actually knew who the Sannin were. '_He wouldn't know the Sannin if they walked up and smacked him in the face_,' she thought.

"The Sannin are Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru," the blond said proudly. Sakura stared at him in shock. She was dumbstruck, as was the rest of the class. "That crazy hermit told me that they became Sannin after they fought some giant salamander or something."

"Very good Naruto," Iruka-sensei chuckled. "That's not quite how they gained the title Sannin, but it was close."

As Iruka-sensei went on explaining how the Sannin got their titles Sakura was focused on the boy sitting next to her. He wrote down his notes, oblivious to the fact her stare may as well have been drilling a hole in his head. Only one thought formed in her head. It was a nagging question, and it gnawed at her brain. '_When did Naruto get so different?_'

If there is one thing that didn't sit well with Sakura, aside from Ino and Naruto, it was a question that she didn't know the answer to. Somehow she would find out what caused Naruto become a little bit less of an annoyance, and a little bit more normal.

* * *

His hands and arms were held up in a loose guard. His feet were wide set, but his balance was firm. Through the tips of his dark crimson bangs cold, steel blue eyes focused on him. It was not a true test, because he would win. Neji always won, just as fate had decreed. Still, the spar should prove to be entertaining enough to warrant a true showing. With most of the students in his class, Neji held back. There was no need to waste time and talent on fools and failures, and few had earned the right to be given such attentions.

"Alright," Mizuki said standing between the two combatants, "now that we have the niceties out of the way let me lay down some ground rules. First, no jutsu of any kind. Second, no Byakugan or Jūken for you Neji."

That was to be expected. It was commonplace for the Academy for them to limit the clan techniques so that the civilian raised ninja could stand a chance. Besides, the Jūken was not really a style to be used in a friendly spar. Perhaps it would be aloud when he was placed in a team with a jōnin sensei, but even then the Jūken was a style of fighting not to be used lightly. It required perfect precision to properly execute, and when that was done it was possible to kill a man with a single touch. Fate had gifted Neji with such precision, and he knew that he wielded the weapons needed to achieve greatness.

"Yes Sensei," Neji acknowledged the command and accepted it.

"Thirdly, Yurushi will not use his swords," Mizuki said with a smirk, "but that should hardly be a temptation since I'll be holding on to them for now."

"Yes Mizuki-sensei," the boy responded. Neji thought he sensed hesitation in his reply. Reasonable, given he had been stripped of his primary method of attack. From what Neji had heard around the Hyūga compound, for an accomplished swordsman to be stripped of his weapon is equivalent of a Hyūga with no arms. They would still dangerous all the same, but severely crippled.

"Begin," Mizuki commanded.

Nothing happened, but Neji was patient. He would wait for Yurushi to make the first move. Yurushi may be fast, but that was all that he possessed. Speed alone will not suffice to bring Hyūga Neji to his knees, and fate would again prove him to be superior.

Yurushi's weight shifted, and even without his all-seeing eyes, Neji knew an attack was coming. The boy became a blur of movement and lashed out with a haymaker about shoulder high. Neji blocked the blow with his forearm and followed up with a counter, three strikes to the midsection in succession before Yurushi grabbed his wrist.

Under normal circumstances it would be a gamble to try and grapple a Hyūga, and the stakes could be one's life. These were not normal circumstances. Yurushi's knee connected with Neji's gut and drove the air out of his lungs. He dropped to his knees, and hands planted to the ground with Yurushi prepared to pin him down for the victory. Neji had yet to find breath, but would not be denied. He shifted his weight rolling onto his back, causing his opponent to lose his footing. Neji grabbed his opponents wrists after his own had been set free. Using this change in momentum and his body as a fulcrum, he tossed Yurushi overhead.

Neji stood with a slight quiver, and readied himself for a new assault. The distraction of a cough, and his opponent exploded into action. Neji was disadvantaged with Yurushi's speed, which was much greater than had been expected. There seemed to be a slight downside to this though. As he defended himself Neji noticed that the crimson haired boy's attacks were sloppy and poorly placed, but not for a lack of skill. Rather, it seemed as if the boy was not used to his own speed. This discrepancy would either continue, or would lessen with time, and should that be the case it was better to finish the fight now.

Neji ducked to the left and swatted away a follow up attack. Testing the boy's defenses he launched a couple tentative strikes of his own, but was careful to leave no opening. With each dodge, block, and shift of his body Neji was taking steps backward. Trying to put distance between him and his opponent, he wanted time to collect himself feeling a bit short on breath. Yurushi's grin tipped him off to the fact that he was being corralled to the tree in the courtyard. Neji smirked at the idea. Few classmates would have the presence of mind to use the terrain to their own advantage, and fewer still would possess the confidence to fight him so fearlessly. His opponent was a worthy rival. Realizing he would have no time to catch his breath he prepared to bait his trap.

Neji backpedaled sharply, enough to be out of range of the swordsman's fists, but in range of a leg if his opponent felt bold. Just as predicted, Yurushi jumped into the air in an attempt to kick Neji in the head and end the fight himself. Neji threw his left arm up to guard, and grunted with the impact. Punches and open palm strikes may have been on the weak side, but Yurushi's kicks were something else. The guard did not deter Neji's opponent, twisting air he corkscrewed his body in midair and brought his free leg down toward Neji's head in an axe kick. Neji was impressed, but not surprised. He was not defenseless, and proved it by blocking again.

This little maneuver would cost Yurushi. Neji took the moment to grab his helpless airborne opponent at the ankles. He was going to force Mizuki-sensei to end the match, or Yurushi would be slammed into the ground. Landing on the back of one's neck with great force was a surefire way to end a ninja career. Just before impact Mizuki made his move, just as predicted.

"I think you have proved yourself Neji," Mizuki-sensei said supporting Yurushi underneath his arms, just above the ground. Neji let go of his opponent somewhat satisfied. He won, but had not been trying to humiliate the boy he was fighting. Unlike the hopeless children playing ninja, who were now taunting Yurushi and cheering Neji, the young swordsman who stood opposite of him would prove worthy of the name ninja. Fate may not have blessed him with the blood of a Hyūga, but he was skilled opponent. The boy in question stood on his own two feet again, and returned his swords to their rightful place at his side. Yurushi extended his hand wordlessly, and held out two fingers. Neji wrapped his own fingers around Yurushi's in a mock handshake signifying the end of a friendly spar.

"Things would have been different if I was able to use my sword," Yurushi said with a smirk with his steel blue eyes full of confidence in his statement.

"Things would be the same as they were now. Don't forget I was equally handicapped," Neji responded quietly. "I am rarely challenged in the Academy. I could use a sparring partner near my own age that can hold their own."

"I would be interested in a rematch," Yurushi answered, joining the class as they filed back into the school building.

"Good," Neji said with a slight smirk of his own. The school year would prove to be a most interesting one. He would have to run things through the leadership of Hyūga clan, but he was confident that fate would allow him any and every opportunity to grow stronger. This Uzumaki Yurushi was likely fate's catalyst for his own growth and development. "I am eager to test myself again soon."

* * *

The shade under the old oak tree made the wait much cooler than standing under the blazing sun. Yurushi was still adjusting to the significant difference in climates than what he had been used to. He thought about that, and realized that in all of his travels with Katsushiro the only thing he had ever really adjusted to was being on the move. He never did settle down, never got used to life in one place, and certainly was never conditioned to a specific climate.

Still it was difficult to call this place home. Here he was an outsider, much like Nartuo. The strange thing was the way they were treated. Naruto was the focus of hatred and resentment from a great deal of people, and Yurushi had yet to discover why. When he was accompanying Naruto similar treatment was given to him, but when Naruto was absent attitudes were changed. People weren't overtly friendly toward him, although they didn't treat him as though he were carrying some terrible disease. Either this entire village was strange, or Naruto was. The options weren't good, but an answer had to exist somewhere.

Between the mystery of Naruto, the mystery of the key to some strange seal his mother left him, and the mystery of his mother, Yurushi's free time was spent in the Public Archives researching possible answers. The problems with that were two fold. First, he had very little free time these days, and second the Public Archives did not seem to have the answers he was looking for. Needless to say, two months of investigation had been near worthless. It was frustrating, and the early weeks of autumn were uncomfortably hot. That wasn't helping. The locals were saying it was the return of the _autumn tiger_, but they gave no signs as to when the large cat would take the high temperatures away.

He had made some progress in other areas that gave much greater satisfaction. Near the apartment a small garden of autumnal flowers had been planted, and their growth and bloom had served as inspiration for several poems. His accomplishments in the classroom were also noteworthy. In a short amount of time he had secured a number two position in the graded rankings. Just shy of the mark Neji set, but close enough to keep the pale eyed genius from slacking off. Not that he ever did, but he seemed to be more driven if the hearsay of other students was reliable information. He had spoken to Neji here and there, and while he was friendly enough the Hyūga seemed to be in a constant foul mood. Perhaps it had to do with his clan's actions in thwarting their desired sparring sessions, but Yurushi suspected there was more to it than that.

Other than Neji, he had few friends that he felt connected to. It was more along the lines of being surrounded by acquaintances; he knew everyone's name, and they knew his but there was no deep connection. Tenten would speak with him about some new weapon she was training with, or certain strategies with one style or the other, but there wasn't much else there. She was focused on her fledgling career, and it was all business until she got where she wanted to be. Hanami was a bit the opposite. She wouldn't talk about the shinobi life, and was more interested in his poetry or a budding flower. She didn't speak with him often, but each encounter made Yurushi wonder why the girl was trying to become a ninja in the first place. Expectations that she had to fulfill perhaps, but there wasn't any real resentment toward the profession. It was a curious thing; she was a curious thing.

"Hey," a voice called out snapping Yurushi from his thoughts, "you're Uzumaki Yurushi right?"

Yurushi nodded in silent response. Before him was a boy with dark brown hair, bangs propped up by a red and yellow striped bandana. He wore a simple black shirt with the kanji for hammer emblazoned in white and navy blue shorts. Just over his right shoulder was the hilt of a sword, and Yurushi wondered if this kid was just another member of his growing fan club. His fan club took two forms. First was the ever growing contingent of giggling girls who fawned over him. Neji would chide him for it, but Yurushi had a feeling that the top student in the class was grateful for less of the unwanted attention. The second part was a small group of boys which Tenten had dubbed as _The Imitators_ and the only real connection they had was that they all began to show up to class with a sword of some sort strapped to their hip. Apparently Yurushi had started a fad, and a rash of want-to-be swordsmen had sprung up.

"The name's Muramasa Kenshi," he said sticking his hand out. Yurushi shook it in greeting.

"I saw you a moment ago practicing your katas, and I was impressed by your style of kenjutsu," the boy continued unconcerned by Yurushi's lack of real response. The statement piqued his interest, and Yurushi wondered if this was really a member of _The Imitators_ after all. "It looks like it's made up of several forms, but it is almost completely rooted in Iaidō. That's a style that isn't really used by ninja much."

"Before coming to Konoha I was raised and taught by a former samurai," Yurushi began to explain but was cut off as Kenshi drew his sword. The blade of the ninjatō gleamed in the sun, and the stance the boy established let Yurushi know that Kenshi knew what he was doing.

"I challenge you to a duel," Kenshi said firmly. "An opportunity to spar against a true practitioner of Iaidō is too rare to pass up, and I have to test my skills."

Yurushi contemplated the idea. Mulling it over in his head he could see the seriousness of the boy. The sword was held in both hands and the tip of the blade was angled toward the sky jutting out toward him. It was a versatile defensive stance, and confirmed beyond all shadow of a doubt that Kenshi was a knowledgeable kenjustu practitioner. He was studied enough to recognize Iaidō and immediately established a ready defense against a quick first strike. As fun as a friendly spar would be, Yurushi couldn't afford it.

"I must respectfully decline Kenshi-san," Yurushi began "I am waiting for my cousin to be released from detention, and he should be getting out any moment now."

"Alright," the fellow swordsman responded with disappointment thick in his voice. "You can call me Kenshi if you want. I don't like all that formal junk, but if you feel like you have to then call me Kenshi-sama, Kenshi-dono, or something like that."

Yurushi tried not to laugh at the boy's gall, suggesting that he should be treated as a superior was a bit _forward_ of him. Still, it was a light-hearted enough to convince Yurushi that his comment was not to be taken seriously.

"Very well Kenshi-_dono_," Yurushi mocked, "but I must warn you that I won't be treating you with such respect when our fight begins. I take such things very seriously, and if you want to be my superior then you must earn that position."

"Good," Kenshi responded with a smirk. "I wouldn't want my subordinates to go easy on me anyway. Even when I become Hokage and bring prominence to my clan, I wouldn't want people to give me respect I didn't earn or hold back because of a title. I want the best, anything less is a waste of time."

Yurushi laughed at the thought. Kenshi wanted to be Hokage, as did Naruto. It seemed that every person he had met with an eye on the position had the same bravado and disregard for politesse. He was beginning to wonder if the same characteristics were present in the former leaders of the village, or if it were a requirement of some sort.

"Seriously though," Kenshi said sheathing his chosen weapon. "I wouldn't want you to hold back. If your last spar against Neji was anything to go by, you'd thrash me in a kenjutsu match. I won't get any better if I don't face the best, and judging by the way you go through your katas you are a very skilled and disciplined in your art. So, when we fight I want you to give me your best shot, 'cause I won't be holding back against you."

Yurushi was about to respond in kind, and let the boy know that he believed he was more skilled in his craft than he let on, but the door to the Academy opened. Naruto burst on to the scene calling out for Yurushi. He waved over to his cousin, and the blond rushed to meet him.

"Hey Yurushi!" his cousin greeted excitedly, "Sorry. I didn't mean to get in trouble. Sasuke was being a big jerk during our ninjutsu class, and I just had to pull a prank on him. I thought this one would be good enough to pull out that stick that is stuck up his-"

"Language Naruto," Yurushi warned sternly.

"What?" Naruto said with a droll accusation. "I was gonna say butt."

Kenshi laughed loudly, and Yurushi smiled with great disbelief in Naruto's claim.

"Hey!" Naruto shouted noticing the extra person. "My name is Uzumaki Naruto. What's yours?"

"Muramasa Kenshi, and I was trying to get your cousin to spar with me but he's being kinda lame right now."

"Yeah, he gets in these moods where he just wants to read, or write, or be by himself, or just be kinda boring you know," Naruto mused aloud much to Yurushi's displeasure. "He's not so bad though, and he's really cool most of the time you know."

Naruto and Kenshi laughed at Yurushi's expense as Kenshi recounted some stories of Yurushi in class which bordered on embarrassing. Naruto returned with several stories of his own, most of which were entirely embarrassing. Yurushi was about to leave the two to their jokes when Kenshi slapped him on the back.

"I hope we aren't getting on your nerves there Yurushi, but what are friends for if not for making fun of one another every once in a while," the young ninja in training said with a broad smile.

"Yeah, I am always pulling pranks and joking around with Yurushi cause he's like my best friend," Naruto confirmed.

Yurushi smiled, genuinely amazed the notion of having a true friend. Maybe they were right. Maybe being a friend was more than just sharing some common interest, or talking all of the time. Perhaps being a friend was just being comfortable around someone else that appreciated who you were. It could be that even though you still did stupid or humiliating things, a true friend would want you around in spite of it all. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

"Well, I better get going," Kenshi said with a vicious looking smirk "I'll see you in class tomorrow Yurushi. Maybe after school we can bloody each other up for a couple rounds."

"Maybe," Yurushi answered slightly concerned about the attempted humor. He hoped it was humor because he really didn't want to cause any permanent damage, especially to a new friend.

"Hey let's go home already! Or maybe go to Ichiraku's," Naruto said eager to hit the road.

"No ramen tonight," Yurushi said in response and turned back to Kenshi as Naruto shed tears of disappointment, "I'll see you tomorrow."

Saying goodbyes Yurushi walked home with Naruto in tow. He listened half-mindedly as his younger cousin rattled on about all of the things he learned in class, and listed the things that he wanted to show Yurushi after dinner. The rest of the year was sure to be an interesting one.

* * *

**Another Chapter in the books. The story will speed along to catch up to the canon timeline, but I will try to keep you well aware of how much time has elapsed from one chapter to the next. Let me know what you think of the chapter.**


	6. Subtle Differences

**Chapter 6: Subtle Differences**

"It may happen sometimes that a long debate becomes the cause of a longer friendship. Commonly, those who dispute with one another at last agree." - Elbert Hubbard

* * *

It was a busy day. The street was packed with people walking to and fro buying up this and that, and just going about the business of the day. The hustle and bustle of the crowd was not always something that he engaged in but today, Umino Iruka felt like taking things easy. The past year felt as though it had rushed by without so much as a hello. Now, with the last free weekend before classes start back up Iruka felt the need to relax as much as possible.

The school year was always exhausting. Long hours, high stress, and few breaks usually meant that an Academy instructor stuck with the job about a year or two tops. Iruka was in his seventh year at the Academy, and had no plans on leaving. In fact, it would take an order from the Hokage himself to get him to leave, and he might even fight such an order as much as decorum allowed.

Long hours were brought on by the fact that eight of those hours in his day were spent in class. Anywhere between one and three hours a day were dedicated to lesson planning and grading papers. Then there were the staff meetings, discussions with parents, and detention with Naruto. Of course, the instances of disciplining the wild child were becoming fewer and fewer. Naruto's improvement in class was largely in the areas of behavior and attendance however, his grades were steadily rising. It was a remarkable turn-around, and he often wondered what Jiraiya did to get the boy to change. He was perhaps the only person in the Academy who was privy to that five day training session, and Naruto was very tight lipped about it. He had expected the boy to brag about it, but there had been no instance.

His stress would often stem from the students attitudes in class. Several of the girls were melodramatically competing for the affections of Uchiha Sasuke. The boy in question was largely perturbed by them, and dismissed the rest of the class entirely. Iruka had tried to develop a mentor-student relationship with the boy, but to no avail. The young genius would listen during lectures and excel at every assignment, but kept the world at an arm's length. The instructor worried that the trauma the child had suffered had ruined any hope of a normal life. It was difficult to imagine, coming home from school one day to find your entire clan, your family, everyone you knew and loved was slaughtered by the elder brother you idolized. There was no describing the betrayal Sasuke must have felt. What words existed that could describe it?

Shaking off the dark thoughts, Iruka did a mental check of his schedule as he weaved his way through the busy street. The duty of any ninja stationed for permanent assignments in the village varied. While he couldn't speak for someone who served in an administrative capacity he knew the standing policy for all shinobi who worked full time in the village. Full time assignments in the village were a highly desired proposition. The pay was good, not as good as shinobi who served in the field, but it was steady income. You lived at home, so it was perfect for those who had a family or were planning on starting one. There was low risk, and that was the kicker. Most ninja began their career looking for action and adventure, and ended their careers hoping they would never see such things again. Once people saw the death of a comrade, or killed the enemy with their own hands in combat, they rarely wanted to see field work again.

Sure the jobs in the village were lack luster, and they wouldn't give anyone the reputation of a person like Hatake Kakashi or Maito Gai, but you served the village just the same. The difference is you had fewer nightmares, fewer faces with life leaving their eyes burned into the brain, fewer regrets, and less blood to stain the soul. It was a trade-off many were scrambling to make. The counter balance to a good night's sleep in your own bed was the lack of any social life. While an active duty ninja who served in the field typically formed close knit bonds with a number of comrades, the ninja who did grunt work in the village rarely had a spare moment. This was because every active duty shinobi had to be mission ready at all times. It didn't matter if you were pushing papers for the Hokage or teaching the Bunshin no jutsu to kids in the Academy; you had to be ready for action at a moment's notice.

Iruka had to train just as tirelessly as any other shinobi, just in case. As a result, his only friends were his fellow colleagues at the Academy. His closest friend was one of the only other instructors who had been teaching as long as he had. He saw his destination through the heads of villagers navigating the crowded street and he wondered if his friend had already arrived. It was an informal meeting, but one he felt necessary given all of the changes that had happened over the past year. His colleague agreed, but only if they could meet over lunch since he wanted to get in an early morning training session with his girlfriend. Dating a kunoichi in field duty was a challenge. Dating any kunoichi was a challenge.

Trust was always key to a romantic relationship. Iruka had tried dating a few times with limited success. It always ended no matter who he was involved with, and it always ended over the same issue, trust. For civilians the issue of trust came easier at first, but it was difficult to maintain. Missions were a matter of secrecy, and secrets could only swirl around the head for so long until the intangible possibilities became concrete accusations. Ultimately, those who had not lived in the ninja world could not or would not wrap their minds around the infinite secrets in a shinobi's life. The other side of the story was that shinobi were never fond of sharing secrets. Sometimes the secrets were a matter of following orders. Other times, the secrets kept were the result of shame and guilt for what you had done; for what had to be done.

Dating a fellow shinobi was a different matter entirely. Trust was still the primary issue, but to trust a fellow assassin, another person trained in the arts of stealth, deception, and bloodshed, was a tall order. Initiating the level of trust necessary, and coming to a point where you can comfortably place your life in the hands of another person was difficult. It was especially problematic when the shinobi was trained to put a knife in the back of the vulnerable. Taught from the beginning that trust was both a weapon and a liability that was not to be carried lightly, and the shinobi should always be on guard. The shinobi should always be cautious of those who seek their trust.

Konohagakure was a bit different in its approach. The ninja of the village have been trained to distrust all other shinobi, but their fellow comrades were worthy of that life altering freedom. It made for a less stressful environment for those who served in a variety of different groups. It also eased the minds to know that, no matter who served at your side, and no matter how you felt about each other they would always guard your back. The downside was that it made betrayal all the more enraging. For a person trained to trust their comrades, it could break the will to have a comrade abandon that bond.

Again, shaking his head of the dark thoughts he drew back the flap serving as the entrance to his appointed meeting place. Not seeing his friend, he took a seat at the first empty stool.

"Good to see you again Iruka-san," said the strong voice of an elderly man from behind the counter. His forehead beaded with sweat from his long hours in the heat of the kitchen. He was a warmhearted soul, and someone who had earned Iruka's respect long ago.

"It's good to see you too Teuchi-san," Iruka returned the greeting. "How are things going for you and Ayame-chan?"

"We're doing quite well," Teuchi responded as his teenaged daughter blushed slightly from Iruka's teasing as she darted to the back of the shop, "just trying to keep up with the craziness around here. You picked a good time our lunch rush just ended."

"Good, I'm meeting someone here, and I was hoping it wouldn't be too busy," Iruka delighted at the fortune of his timing. "It gets kind of hard to hear yourself think when this place is crowded."

Teuchi laughed heartily "But I like it here when it's busy! It really gets the adrenaline pumping, and it doesn't hurt my bottom line either."

Iruka laughed alongside the man. Teuchi was a businessman, but his passion was cooking. If the restaurant was a bust or a gold mine it wouldn't make any difference at all to him, so long as he cooked. Ramen Ichiraku had been an institution in the village for decades. It has survived destruction two times over, and it still stands strong. The reason for this was largely because of the chef at the helm. He served. He loved doing it too, and it wasn't just ramen he was serving. He was serving people, and the food was just a method. Teuchi was a good chef but a great man, and people recognized that in him. The food here was an afterthought more times than not. Great food got people in the door, but good service and the idea of companionship kept them coming back for more.

"So what will it be? The usual I'm guessing," the boisterous chef asked.

"I'll take a bowl of miso ramen," Iruka confirmed.

"Ayame, order's up!" Teuchi shouted as he retreated into the kitchen.

The flap behind Iruka dividing the ramen stand from the busy street was lifted, and Iruka looked over his shoulder to see the newcomer.

"Iruka," the man greeted with a slight edge, "why do you insist on coming here?"

"Because it's good food Mizuki," Iruka answered with a grin. He knew Mizuki was probably aggravated with something his girlfriend had just said or did, but it was compounded by arriving at Ichiraku's

"You know I hate ramen, but you always want to meet up here. I can't stand it. I wish you wouldn't always insist on it," the man growled as he took a seat.

"Well, if you would _try_ to meet with _me_ instead of the other way around then you could pick the meeting place," Iruka retorted.

"Whatever," Mizuki relented as Teuchi returned and took his order, which was to be surprised. Once the chef left to fulfill the request of the disgruntled instructor, Mizuki turned back to his long-time friend. "So what is this little meeting about anyway?"

"I just wanted to discuss the upcoming school year and get your feel on the graduating class. You did ask me to help you with the examinations for this year so I would be ready for next year's exams," Iruka explained.

"Fair enough," Mizuki responded. "I guess I should give you an idea of what my students are like so you know what to expect at the end of the year. It wouldn't do for you to be ill equipped when it's your turn to take the lead now would it?"

Iruka rolled his eyes at the verbal jab. Mizuki and Iruka had been teaching for around the same amount of time, but Mizuki's parents had practically groomed him for the Academy position. As such, his student-teaching period had been one year instead of the two years Iruka had spent. Once the prospective Academy Instructor has served enough hours working underneath an active instructor they were placed in a class. Either the teacher was just as greenhorn as the newly formed class, or the new teacher was filling in a vacancy. Typically, a teacher stayed with their class the entire six years to graduation. Mizuki was placed in a class which was a year ahead of Iruka's, and because of this and their long-time friendship they would partner with one another for a variety of tasks. One of which was the graduation exam.

"So how many do you expect to graduate this year?" Iruka questioned.

"Well the way things are shaping up I would venture a guess of about thirty of the kids will graduate the placement exams," Mizuki said thought fully as he was fishing for something lost inside a travel pack.

"Impressive," Iruka replied with a whistle. Class sizes ranged between thirty five and forty kids depending on how many students were enrolled that particular year. To have more than three fourths of a class make placement was the mark of an excellent teacher. It could also just be that the majority of the class was extremely talented, but usually it was a credit to the instructor. Iruka was expecting around sixty percent of his class to be placed on a genin team, and felt proud with that number. He teased Mizuki a lot about being a teacher who seems to hate kids, but clearly he knew what he was doing. "What kind of exam are you working on?"

"Well, the lowest score in the class across the board is with the Kawarimi no Jutsu. It's not that the students can't do it, but most of them don't have the timing down," Mizuki mused having found a stack of files containing all sorts of papers. Iruka guessed it was student evaluations, and if it was then his partner in education proved once again to have a great instinct in reading people. He clearly knew what the meeting would be about, and was obviously ready to discuss the issue at length. After heaving out the last few files he had stored in his pack Mizuki handed a few to Iruka. "That is the exam I have planned out. It's tentative for now, and I'll give the kids about half of the school year to show me what they can do before I finalize things."

"There is quite a bit here," Iruka felt a bit overwhelmed at the information he was studying. There was a written portion, an accuracy portion, and a ninjutsu portion to the exam. "So what makes the Kawarimi so special to your exam?"

"Let me break down the whole thing," Mizuki began. "We have to evaluate our student's ability to retain information. Knowing details of just about anything coupled with the ability to recall that information makes all the difference in the field, so that is why the written portion is there. The accuracy portion is there for practical reasons as well, because if you can't throw a kunai or a shuriken and hit your mark you won't last long. The ninjutsu portion, as Academy policy stipulates, is the bulk of the exam score. It is so important that a portion of the students in class grades are factored in."

"So that is why you chose the Kawarimi, because it is the hardest one for your class?" Iruka asked considering the other subjects that weren't covered in the examination.

"Exactly," the bandana wearing teacher confirmed, "the purpose of the exam is to weed out those who are not capable of becoming active duty shinobi. I make the test difficult because if they aren't really ready for an exam then they aren't ready for mission work. It seems harsh, but it saves lives."

"Then why not have a taijutsu evaluation in the test?" Iruka asked scratching the back of his head. "I always stress to my students the importance of taijutsu, and I know you do too. Even in shinobi combat a fight will typically start and end with taijutsu."

"The Academy doesn't teach depth in the art of hand-to-hand combat. We only teach the kids foundational things, and leave their families and Jōnin Sensei the responsibility of teaching them the advanced stuff. We just don't have the time to give kids the individualized attention they need to learn taijutsu, but a Jōnin Sensei would. A clan would. So we just make sure they don't form bad habits," Mizuki answered.

"Yeah I guess you're right," Iruka relented as the chef returned with meals in hand.

"Here we are gentlemen," Teuchi said while setting a bowl of ramen in front of Iruka which instantly warmed him as the steam filled his nose with each breath drawn. He let the fragrant aroma of the broth consume his senses; it was a gift from heaven. Iruka would never admit it, but he loved ramen almost as much as Naruto did.

"Is this some sort of joke?" Mizuki asked indignantly.

"You asked me to surprise you Mizuki-san," Teuchi explained with a wicked grin. "Are you not surprised?"

Iruka watched as Mizuki examined the contents of what appeared to be a chirashizushi bowl and returned his gaze to the chef who delivered it. This checking, rechecking, and examining both the man and the meal continued for a minute as Iruka tried not to laugh. Clearly, Mizuki was not sure if he could believe that either the food or the bowl was real.

"I thought this was a ramen stand, but this is a bowl of scattered sushi," Mizuki finally said as confusion dripped off his words.

"It is, and you are right," the chef responded with his playful demeanor not changing in the slightest. "You are most observant shinobi-san, and should either of you require anything else just give a shout. I'll be in the back having some lunch of my own, but like I said if you just give me a holler I'll hear you."

Iruka snickered at Teuchi's mocking tone which won him a fierce look from Mizuki once the chef disappeared into his kitchen. Mizuki tested the contents of his bowl gingerly, chopsticks poking and prodding as if checking whether the food was really there. Giving in, he took a bite and his voiced hummed with pleasure. Iruka decided to indulge in his own meal while his friend was still figuring things out.

"Not bad. Not what I was expecting, but it's really pretty good," Mizuki thought out loud. "Now was there anything else you wanted to know?"

Iruka chewed and swallowed the mouthful of noodles that he was immensely enjoying before replying "Yes actually. I was wondering who you thought would graduate as rookie of the year, dead last, and who has surprised you the most so far?"

"Well, isn't that a curious question coming from you Iruka," Mizuki taunted. "I thought you had told me a week ago that Academy rankings don't matter in the field, and they don't do anything but form tension between students. Have we changed our minds Iruka?"

"No, I was just wondering," Iruka answered with a roll of the eyes. "The only purpose the class ranks serve is to help balance out team formations. They really don't amount to much more than that."

"Still, they serve a purpose," Mizuki said. Clearly he was trying to rub it in. Since their days as students in the Academy Iruka's friend and colleague would often compete in a variety of ways. When they were first starting out down the road to ninja they competed through the Academy ranks. Iruka lost, and he still felt sore about his friend reminding him on occasion. "Anyway, from what I can tell Hyūga Neji has the number one spot all locked up. As far as kunoichi go that spot goes to that girl I was telling you about yesterday, Tenten."

"The sniper? The one who clipped off a couple strands of your hair with a kunai when you were going to score her as missing the bull's-eye by half a centimeter," Iruka goaded.

"She sneezed mid throw, and in the end I gave her credit. We had a long talk about that temper of hers and she agreed to never do anything like that again, but yes that is the girl." Mizuki defended his reasoning.

"What about dead last?" Iruka asked in between bites of ramen.

"That depends. If all the rules are followed then that spot will likely go to Kobayashi Ryū, a civilian raised kid. He doesn't look too promising, and I don't think he tries all that hard, but if he passes then he'll have the lowest rank. However, there is a chance some strings are going to be pulled and a kid who would otherwise flunk out this year will be allowed a placement. Rock Lee," Mizuki said sliding a file across the counter top, "is the other option for the dead last."

"So why would the rules and regulations make a difference?" Iruka asked while reading up on the student in question. He had no skill in ninjutsu, genjutsu, and limited ability in taijutsu. His academic marks seemed high enough, but the performance scores should have caused him to wash out of the program a long time ago. "What kind of strings can be pulled that would justify graduating this kid? He's got no chance out in the field, and would only get himself and his team killed."

"I agree, but Maito Gai seems to think otherwise," Mizuki casually answered, but Iruka was in shock. Maito Gai was one of the foremost jōnin in the village, and his word was as highly respected as his power. The man was eccentric and a bit crazy, but to use whatever influence he had to get a kid like this to graduate was ludicrous. "Apparently, Gai seems to think Lee would make an excellent apprentice, and has even gone so far to petition the Hokage to allow the boy's graduation. If Hokage-sama humors him then I'll graduate the boy no question, but that doesn't mean I won't make him take the test, and it certainly doesn't mean that I'll spare his feelings. If I have to graduate the kid, I'll let him know why he gets to when others more deserving get looked over."

"Don't be cruel Mizuki," Iruka admonished.

"Truth is cruel, and the kid will have to figure it out sooner or later. Who would you rather teach that lesson, me, or an enemy in battle?" Mizuki posed the question sharply, and it dug in to his mind quickly. Iruka didn't like it, but he couldn't deny it either.

Iruka knew the answer to his friend's question. His comrade may not always have a sense of tack, but he wasn't going to crush the kid's spirit either. An enemy would not be so forgiving. To know that you are weak is far different than believing a lie and learning how wrong you were with the tip of a blade. Mizuki's explanation, no matter how harsh, would be a mercy compared to what may await Rock Lee in the shadows.

"Do you think he'll make it out there?" Iruka wondered aloud.

"Who, Lee?" Mizuki paused in thought. "If Gai is able to mold him into a replica of himself, then yes Lee will do just fine."

"What makes you think so? He can't use ninjutsu or genjutsu, and his taijustu is subpar. There has to be something, some redeeming quality that makes you think he'd succeed."

"Yeah, Lee has something about him. After teaching him for almost six years he has a fire, tenacity, and a drive. He's got a never-say-die attitude, and I kind of respect that side of him. If he keeps that and applies himself to Maito Gai, then he will do just fine out there," Iruka had to catch himself from gawking for too long. It was the last thing he would have suspected his fellow teacher to say.

'_Interesting Mizuki, I can't remember you thinking that way about Naruto. Then again, Lee isn't much of a trouble maker either._' Iruka thought as finished his meal in silence. He really didn't want to broach the topic of his favorite rascal with Mizuki. There were several reasons that people disliked Naruto, and several reasons that they didn't want the boy to become a ninja in the first place. Some legitimate, most not, but all linked to one common factor.

"You're quiet over there," Mizuki said after finishing his food. "I know what you are thinking and I still don't think that it's right. The boy shouldn't be a ninja."

"Why not? The way you described Lee fits Naruto's personality perfectly. I know you don't like him, but he deserves a chance," Iruka quietly and calmly defended his student. Naruto wasn't always so driven in class. In fact, Naruto wasn't always in class at all. Recently, the boy had a major change in his attitudes toward school.

"Irrespective of what I think of the kid personally, to give a child like him full access to that kind of power is dangerous." Mizuki's daggered words pierced Iruka with a logical precision. He was right. The kind of power Naruto could wield was dangerous, and there was no denying it. "An idiot and a fool of his kind shouldn't be given power. To wield power with no knowledge of how to handle it properly is like throwing kunai blindfolded. You may hit something, you may miss, but you might just kill a friend in the process."

"Power is dangerous in anyone's hands. It doesn't matter if you know how to use it or not, it can still be misused," he shot back quickly.

"I disagree," Mizuki stated to no surprise. "Look at Hokage-sama, the man knows a thousand jutsu and is feared the world over as Shinobi no Kami. He has acquired power over his very long career, and he has the intelligence to use it properly. Naruto does not have that intelligence, and it is unwise for us to continue teaching him. He is a troublemaker and a ruffian, but if he continues to learn the shinobi arts he will kill us all."

"You are wrong!" Iruka emphatically declared as calmly as he could. Mizuki did not appreciate emotional outbursts, and winning him over would not be accomplished with one. As much as he wanted to hotly contest the fear of Naruto being a harbinger of doom, Iruka shifted gears. "Intelligence alone does not mean you will use power properly. It takes wisdom to know what to do with the power you have. I think Orochimaru's treachery is evidence enough of that. Naruto may not be as smart as you think he should be, but he has a kind heart."

"A kind heart?" Mizuki asked incredulously. "You think _that_ boy has a kind heart? You know what evil lurks inside him, and there is nothing kind about it. Besides, just look at his pranks which you call harmless. Every single one is a reaction to someone mistreating him. What if pranks become ninjutsu? It won't be fun and games with that brat then."

Iruka sighed. It was irrational to fear the boy, but entirely rational to fear the beast within. There was no winning here with Mizuki. For whatever reason that man held an unnatural obsession with Naruto's skills. It was fear that his skills were growing unchecked, and disapproval that the attitudes of the blond boy remained largely unchallenged. "Mizuki was I any different? When I was his age I played pranks to get back at people who aggravated me, but that ended with time. Naruto is just a kid, and as he gets older his immaturity will fade away. I don't know if you have noticed, but he has calmed down quite a bit. I think Yurushi has played a large roll on Naruto's change of behavior,"

"Uzumaki Yurushi got Naruto to sit still and behave?" Mizuki questioned with sarcasm and disbelief.

"I think he did, and Naruto has really improved in class. He might graduate a step or two above the dead last position if things keep going the way that they are," Iruka smiled as he delivered the news to his skeptical comrade. Naruto may never be a champion of scholastic thought, but he was far from stupid. It took a while for him to figure it out, but time had shown Iruka that the blond wild child had a great talent in thinking on his feet and being wickedly creative; a pair of things that could be quite dangerous in the shinobi world.

"Well, I'll be damned. To think the little brat would turn around like that. I wonder what Yurushi did that caused the sudden change?" Mizuki mused.

"It wasn't that sudden. Just a shift in attitudes and focus over the past year, but I do think Yurushi is largely responsible. Naruto has been starving for attention for his entire life, and now he has someone who will give him the attention he so desperately needs. More so, Yurushi doesn't treat Naruto with scorn or fear, and I think that has really made the difference."

"I'm still not convinced that Naruto should be allowed to become a ninja. The kid has yet to show that he can handle all of that responsibility in an appropriate way, but if he proves that he is capable of being half the ninja Yurushi will be, then _maybe_ I can give Naruto a chance. That doesn't mean I am going to like the kid though," Mizuki relented an inch, but Iruka was going to try and take a mile if he could get away with it. Mizuki never backed down, never yielded in his beliefs.

"So what is Yurushi like in class? I've met the kid once or twice before, and he seems to have a good head on his shoulders," Iruka pondered what Naruto's elder cousin was capable of to give Mizuki pause to reconsider.

"The kid is a genius of Neji or Sasuke's caliber. I don't know if it is in his blood or if it has to do with how he was raised, but Yurushi was born to be a powerful ninja. No question about it, he will be famous in the shinobi world," Mizuki answered as he began to pack away a few files.

Iruka shuddered at that thought. To be famous in the shinobi world meant that you gained respect and had a large target painted on your head. People may know and fear you, but others will try to kill you just for the sake of gaining a reputation. Popularity was not desired for a ninja, and only the foolhardy welcomed it gladly.

"Hey Iruka, you mind if I ask you a personal question?" Mizuki's words breaking the brief silence that settled over the two.

"I don't mind, ask away," Iruka responded with slight curiosity. Mizuki always had a firm grasp on his life, and always held strong, well established opinions about most things. He couldn't help but wonder if the idea of a Naruto, who was different than before, had gotten his friend to think about his other beliefs.

"Why did you become an instructor at the Academy?" Iruka went wide eyed for a brief second.

"Well," Iruka thought. The question was not entirely expected and he had to consider the reason behind his decision so many years ago. "I guess I just wanted to inspire kids the way Hokage-sama had inspired me when I first became a ninja. His strength and wisdom really made me want to have a hand in getting the next generation ready to carry mantle of Konoha. Why do you ask?"

"I was just wondering," Iruka watched as his partner stared blankly into his empty bowl. "You know, I never really wanted to work at the Academy. I always imagined that I would be a jōnin by now, and maybe even join ANBU one day. I never did."

"Hell," Mizuki chuckled dryly, "I never even tried to enroll for the Jōnin Exams."

"Why not?" Iruka asked plainly. His friend must be going through some identity crisis, because he had never seen Mizuki acting so lost.

"I don't know really. I guess my parents had a lot to do with it," Mizuki answered. "They always urged me to become an instructor at the Academy. It was like they never wanted me to do anything else. Almost like they never thought I _could_ be anything else."

Iruka processed the idea. His own parents had always encouraged him to follow his dreams and desires. If he wanted to do something, then Iruka's parents had told him to give it his best. They died years ago defending the village from one of the greatest threats it ever faced, but even in those last moments Iruka knew that his parents believed in him. He couldn't relate to Mizuki, and wondered what he could say to help his friend find an anchor for his life.

"About a year ago I petitioned the Hokage to look at my projected potential assessment," the man stated blankly.

"Oh, and what did it say?" Iruka asked with eyebrow arched. Every ninja who has obtained the rank of chūnin was evaluated closely by the Hokage through mission profiles and annual skill reviews. These evaluations are analyzed and it is determined where that particular individual could possibly be in the near future. This was largely done for ninja on permanent assignment in the village, so they could have an idea where they might be if they got back into the field.

"It said that I have the potential to be a jōnin level ninja," Mizuki said with a cold factuality. The man sounded as if he had been resigned to the fact that he would never achieve the rank.

"So go and take a year off of teaching. Get back into the field, sharpen your skills, train like crazy, and then go ace the exams. I won't hold it against you," Iruka urged.

"I don't know if its fear or something else, but seriously considering doing anything other than teaching makes something inside of me snap. It's almost like some small part of me doesn't want to leave the Academy, but the rest of me wants nothing more to do with any of it," Mizuki was becoming a bit more of a mystery, and Iruka wasn't too sure how to handle these revelations.

"I want to be stronger Iruka," Mizuki said returning his gaze to Iruka, and the teachers gauged each other's reactions. "I should be stronger. I need to be stronger."

"You have no satisfaction with the way things are now?" Iruka asked. The craving of power is enticing, and many who chase after such things rarely stop with any one particular benchmark.

"I'm not like you Iruka, I am not content teaching the next generation," Mizuki said as he began gathering all of the materials he had brought. "Especially now that I know I am capable of more. Frankly, I don't know how you can find fulfillment with it."

Iruka shrugged, but was at a total loss. What more could he say. He had always enjoyed his role in the Academy and it always felt very rewarding to him. Sure, it was a bit of a blow to the pride watching students whom you helped teach grow into a more powerful shinobi than you were. Sure, it stung seeing children you watched growing up achieve a level of skill you did not possess. That was the sacrifice that he had made. He had done it willingly, and would do it again.

"I don't know what to tell you Mizuki," Iruka sighed and scratched the back of his head. "I always kind of felt proud of the fact that I can make a difference with my job. Through teaching I can leave my own legacy, and pass on the Hi no Ishi that was handed to me."

"That's all well and good, and I appreciate the idealism of the Will of Fire," Mizuki was gearing up again, and Iruka knew the old arguments that were coming, "but we both know the world doesn't work that way. People are driven by power. Be it power they use, or power used against them. Power is what motivates us."

"So you want the power to be a jōnin instead what you have been limited to?" Iruka asked, knowing the answer already.

"Exactly," Mizuki declared. Previous versions of this debate left Iruka without a leg to stand on in his friend's eyes. Feelings and ideals always sounded pretty to Mizuki, but he couldn't grasp them. It was water seeping through cupped hands, an intangible aspect of human existence. This time, things were different. Iruka would make sure things were different.

"So when you become a jōnin, what will you do with all of that power?" Iruka followed up with his friend.

"I'm going to use it Iruka," his friend elaborated plainly. "I will destroy my enemies and crush those who stand against me, all by the order of Hokage-sama of course."

"Of course, of course," Iruka mocked playfully. Try as he may to act like he was ignoring it, Mizuki was walking down a dangerous road. "So what happens when you are ordered to limit yourself, or you find you cannot climb to the height you are looking for?"

"I, well," Mizuki was falling over his words and seemed to be finding no adequate answer, which was exactly where Iruka wanted him. "I don't know."

"Let me ask you this," Iruka had shifted into full blown lecture mode. He was going to give his friend the same treatment he gave Naruto every time he needed the child to learn an important lesson. "What separates Hokage-sama from someone like Orochimaru or Uchiha Itachi?"

"Loyalty," Mizuki answered quickly. "Hokage-sama will live and die for the village while the other two are treasonous criminals."

"I think that is part of it, but I believe there is more to it than that," Iruka began extrapolating the issue before his cohort could latch onto the word _believe_, and reject the argument. "Consider the power that each of them possesses and answer me this; to what ends do they use all of that power?"

"Well," Mizuki paused in thought. "Orochimaru betrayed the village to chase after greater power. He uses his strength for whatever he wants I guess. Uchiha Itachi was one of the most powerful ANBU Captains in more recent history, and he used that power to commit the wholesale slaughter of his clan. Why he did that, nobody knows, and what he is doing now only Kami-sama could tell. Hokage-sama uses his power to defend the village, just like any Kage does."

"If Hokage-sama were not the Hokage, but just Sarutobi Hiruzen, do you think that would change how he used his power?" Iruka asked already knowing the answer.

"Knowing him, it wouldn't change a thing. He loves the village far too much," Mizuki stated and Iruka grinned wildly.

"That is the point," Iruka stood to leave. "Power is not an end in and of itself. Rather, it should be used to protect the things that matter most. Hokage-sama protects the village with his life because the village and its people are precious to him. My students are precious to me, and I will use all the strength I have, no matter how meager, to keep them safe. What is precious to you Mizuki? Becoming a great jōnin is an excellent goal. You should work toward it, and I hope you get there someday. But, unless you are fighting to protect something then I think you are missing the point. That's the lesson my parents taught me the day they died, and its one that every ninja should learn."

Iruka called for the proprietor in order to pay for his meal, and was asked to wait while he finished with something. He eyed his friend who was clearly considering everything that had been said. Pinching the bridge of his nose at the how the _coolness_ of the moment the teacher had created was being lost with every moment he stood there waiting. He was hoping to leave Mizuki to stir with the thoughts, instead he stood waiting. It gave his friend a chance to rebut, something Iruka wanted to minimize. There wasn't any guarantee that he could duplicate a lecture like that.

Frustration at the wait rising, his fingers grazed over the scar that streaked across his face. He had learned a similar lesson about how the shinobi should use his skills, and he had learned it the hard way. Trying to show off, wasn't an advisable action in the field. The souvenir of shinobi life was something he never bothered trying to cover it up, and it served as his reminder.

"Does Naruto have someone or something precious to him?" Mizuki asked. "What is driving him to become a ninja?"

"A year ago I wouldn't be able to give you a good answer to that," Iruka smiled. "Naruto wanted to become a ninja so he wouldn't be ignored and so people would respect him. Now though, since Yurushi has been in his life, things seem to be different. Naruto has a family that cares for him, and he wants to protect it with everything he has."

"You're really proud of him aren't you?" Mizuki pondered outloud.

"Like he was my own brother," Iruka smiled warmly at the idea.

"Thanks for the help Iruka. I guess I have quite a bit to think about," Mizuki answered as Teuchi walked out from the back.

Iruka paid the chef for the meal and thanked him. Just before he returned to the busy street he placed a firm hand on Mizuki's shoulder "Sure thing Mizuki. After all, that's what friends are for."

* * *

Mizuki sat for a moment after Iruka left and smirked. His friend had pulled one over on him. Usually he won the debates because Iruka just didn't think in logic and cold hard facts. Iruka was far too empathetic and idealistic to effectively make the case he would argue. They rarely saw eye to eye on things, but Iruka was a friend. This proved it once again. Though he was hesitant to admit it, Iruka had made a good point.

"So can I get you something else Mizuki-san?" the chef asked breaking Mizuki from his thoughts.

"No Teuchi-san I need to be going," he answered as he paid the man for the food.

"Well, what did you think?" The chef asked eagerly motioning toward the empty dish in front of Mizuki.

"It was good, but I didn't know you could make sushi," Mizuki answered with honesty admitting his surprise at the food he had been given. He asked Teuchi to surprise him because ramen was his least favored food, but he did not expect anything other than ramen to be delivered. To receive his favorite meal caused a bit of a shock, and even more of one to find it was very well prepared.

"I sell ramen, but I can cook anything," Teuchi boasted.

"Well, I must thank you. Chirashizushi is my favorite dish and you prepared it better than a handful of places I frequent," he admitted. It was something that he might actually drop hints of to see if other proprietors would make other chefs a little less lazy in the kitchen.

"I aim to please Mizuki-san. The last time Iruka was here he mentioned that chirashizushi was your favorite. I always keep a variety of ingredients so Ayame and I can make ourselves a little something to eat without pulling from our own stock. When you said 'surprise me' I thought I'd give it a shot," Teuchi explained.

"Iruka told you?" Mizuki asked, feeling like he was missing some back story.

"Sure did," the elder chef inflated. "He often speaks of you, and is always talking about what you both did when you were younger."

"Really now?" Mizuki bantered back curious as to what Iruka would tell the old ramen chef about him.

"He thinks very highly of you Mizuki. He sees you as a dear friend, and maybe something of a brother that he never had," Teuchi declared quietly as he began cleaning off the countertop.

"Yeah I know," Mizuki considered as he prepared to set off and finish all of the other things on his lengthy to-do list. "He's a good guy, probably my best friend."

"Have a good day," Teuchi said as Mizuki drew back the flap. "Come back again."

'_I think I just might do that,_' Mizuki thought as he took to the rooftops.

* * *

**Chapter six is all done. Sorry for the late add, but I wasn't exactly around a computer this weekend. Teams will start forming up in the next couple of chapters, and then we get into missions. While you wait, let me know what you think.**


	7. Without a Trace

**Chapter 7: Without a Trace**

"Fate loves the fearless." - James Russell Lowell

* * *

The ground was hard. Dust caked on his forearm and brow courtesy of the sheen of sweat that had developed. Breathing was becoming more ragged over time, and his muscles ached with each movement. His body felt as though he were swimming up river with limited success. Today was not a good day to push his training to the limits. Yurushi worked his way to his knees as he tried to regain an even breath. The third level of his training seal was an exponential leap forward. After three months it could still feel like he had just activated it. He was honestly considering returning to the second level, until he had more time to get adjusted.

"Your speed has greatly diminished," a voice called out to him from above. "I am beginning to wonder if you were cheating when we first fought."

"Not cheating," Yurushi responded drawing in as much air as he could afford, "just letting go of a few limits. This is training. You already have an idea of what I can do, so there is no need to take those limits away right now. Besides, it's all a part of my training regimen."

"Your form has improved, but your skill in executing strikes is still below par. You should be more advanced in taijutsu by now," the genius scolded

Yurushi rose to his feet, albeit slowly, and looked his opponent in the eye. "I told you before Neji, I am a swordsman. That is what I choose to train in. I only practice taijutsu so I don't die if I'm ever caught without my sword."

"I wonder if you would succeed in that endeavor," Neji jabbed, earning a frown from the redhead. "From what I have seen I would recommend that you never be disarmed. I don't believe that you would last a second otherwise."

Neji slipped into another generic taijutsu stance. Yurushi had sparred with the Hyūga prodigy only a handful of times outside of school. The only thing that really ever changed was the setting. It was months before Yurushi was allowed entrance into the grand halls of the Hyūga estate. The place was calm and serene, as if it had been taken from a painting and placed upon the earth. It was a place of order, harshly procured and staunchly defended. The rules were everything here, and every aspect of life in these walls had rules. The rules between their spars had remained much the same as at the Academy. He could not use his sword, and his opponent could not use the clan's techniques. Also, their matches would always be personally supervised by the head of the clan.

Yurushi considered the man. The Hyūga leader was unnerving to say the least. He was always watching, studying, and judging both combatants. His judgments were kept to himself, or at least until after Yurushi had left because the crimson haired boy never heard a single word pass the man's lips. In fact, he couldn't recall the man moving from the spot from which he had elected to watch the match. The head of the clan was there when he arrived and there when he left. He was a statue. In silent power he ruled all within his kingdom, and any movement was to be feared.

"I have been trained how to wield a sword since I was four years of age. Do you really think I haven't learned how to keep from being disarmed?" Yurushi asked with his focus returning to Neji.

"Not from a Hyūga you haven't," Neji said as he turned toward the clan head and bowed deeply. The leader nodded swiftly as if answering a silent question. Neji bowed again before facing Yurushi once more. "Do you have a bokken?"

"I don't have much use for training swords anymore, but yes I do have one," Yurushi answered as he moved to withdraw the sealing scroll which contained the wooden blade from his pack. Taking it in hand he was glad that it was lighter than his actual weapon. Moving would be easier, but not by much.

"The rules are the same as ever, but now you have been permitted to wield a sword and I have been permitted to show you the true power of the Hyūga," Neji said. Yurushi surveyed with anticipation as Neji's stance changed. There was a slight bend at the knees, left hand at waist level with the palm facing down, the right arm jutting toward Yurushi with the palm facing him, and the veins around his eyes bulging as the pupil-less orbs pulsed with power.

"This should be fun," Yurushi said as he secured the wooden katana within his obi. He did not have a scabbard for the practice sword, but the motions were all the same. He set his feet wide with his right foot leading toward Neji, ready to spring to action. Right hand gripped the hilt while the left loosely held the sword through his obi. Eyes focused on every move his opponent made.

As if some silent bell had rung they rushed toward each other with impressive speed. Yurushi was far too slow to make the first strike; something he would have greatly preferred. He sidestepped Neji's initial offering and backpedaled away from any potential follow ups. The gained distance was short lived as Neji pressed the foreseen advantage. Yurushi ducked and weaved through the flurry of attacks. Yurushi wheeled to the left to dodge another strike, but this time he found an opening. There was a seamless transition from drawing the blade to attack. A strike at the midsection that would warrant an ending to the round due to the simple fact that had the blade been real Neji would be in danger of losing his life. Just before the wooden edge struck home, Neji twisted out of the way.

Yurushi reacted quickly with several more slashes of the bokken, all of which Neji gracefully avoided. Though frustrating, he appreciated his rival's attitude toward the change in their spar. Yurushi was dodging Neji because he knew nothing about the Hyūga clan style, but Neji was dodging him because there was no benefit to trying to block a fake sword when blocking a real one could result in the loss of a limb. Yurushi shunted Neji's first attempted counter with the flat of his wooded blade and shoved against the boy's forearm. It threw the young man off balance enough for Yurushi to capitalize. Bringing the sword to bear against a blindsided opponent with an overhead strike did less than Yurushi had hoped. Once again Neji had evaded even though he had been caught flat footed.

The two placed some distance between each other, and Yurushi was beginning to feel drained. Today was not a good day to be challenging his rival, but if he never trained with the third level of his seal active he would not adjust to it. Never before had the young Hyūga been so unpredictable in his movements. Circling around one another, Yurushi caught the hard stare from the pale eyes of his opponent. Suddenly, it all made sense.

"So," Yurushi thought out loud. "This is the power of the Byakugan; the gift of sight beyond sight."

"To learn so much about my eyes from only two brief encounters," Neji marveled dully with a slightly ragged breath. "This is why you are a worthy adversary."

"I had hoped it would have been for either my swordsmanship or roguish good looks," Yurushi smirked. Neji never reacted to his humor, and likely would never react in front of the clan head, but Yurushi suspected that his friend appreciated his witty banter.

"You're ego grows beyond your current station. It's time I show you where you truly stand in the order of things," Neji answered curtly.

Yurushi charged forward, blade down at his side ready to strike. Bringing the sword up in a diagonal strike was the most natural course of action, and Neji would be able to easily dodge by stepping to the left. The feint seemed to work as the attack was broadcasted and Neji began to step into the dodge. The single twist of the wrist brought the blade straight up rather than its expected trajectory. His opponent was moving directly into the strike, and Neji appeared utterly shocked. It was an image that Yurushi did not ever want to forget. Yet the difference in their speed, however slight, was enough for Neji to correct his footing.

The gambit left Yurushi open as Neji maneuvered himself behind the young samurai training to become a ninja. A swift kick behind a knee dropped the crimson swordsman to the ground on said knee. A stabbing pain erupted in the shoulder of his sword arm, followed by four more needle-like jabs up and down his right arm, the last of which resulted in him dropping his weapon. Finally, an open palm strike to the center of the back sent Yurushi flying forward a short distance before crashing into the hard ground.

"Have you learned your place?" Neji asked coolly. "Or do you need another lesson?"

Yurushi chuckled lightly at his opponents taunt as he found himself face down in the dirt, again. It was the ninth time today. At least his rival seemed to be getting the hang of goading an opponent with a dry joke or two. "I would love to oblige your offer with a lesson of my own," the Uzumaki replied as he worked his way into a seated position, "but it seems I have lost all feeling in my right arm. I can wield my bokken effectively in a single hand, and I can wield it my offhand, but I wouldn't stand any chance at all."

Like it or not this training session was over. Both combatants bowed toward each other out of respect, and turned to bow to the clan head in respect and gratitude. Yurushi rose to reclaim his things while his right arm hung uselessly at his side. 'Each attack was laced with chakra, and was aimed at a precise spot in order to disable the use of my arm. The last attack didn't seem to be a strike from the Hyūga style, but it could have been a standard finishing move. This is why the Hyūga clan is revered as the masters of taijutsu. Their eyes allow them to see what is not in their line of sight, and their style of fighting disables the opponent entirely. No wonder why Lee is dead set on beating Neji,' Yurushi groaned at the soreness across his body while analyzing what he learned from the spar. While not concerned about having to fight against a Hyūga with life or death steaks, it never hurt to have a future plan to counter their skill set should the situation arise.

"Hyūga-sama," Neji's voice rang out as Yurushi sealed his practice sword inside of the scroll he stored it in. "By your leave I will escort Uzumaki-san home."

The request must have been confirmed because as Yurushi threw his pack over his shoulder, and held onto it with his only working hand, his host was stood in wait. Wordlessly, they walked through the scenic gardens, meticulously designed halls, and the grand foyers of the Hyūga estate. The decor was something of humble and practical appearances, but every piece of furnature, every urn, every rug, and even the floors were masterfully crafted. The main gate came into view as they walked. The wood used was thick and rich with a dark color. The large symbol of the clan adorned the smooth surface, and yet it bore no gemstones or ornate metals. Perhaps, not showy or overtly conceited about it, the Hyūga clan was proud of what they were. With a nod of the head, the guards opened the gate and allowed the two rivals safe passage.

"You should regain the use of your arm in a few hours," Neji stated as they stepped out into the street. Traffic was surprisingly light, but with the dinner hour approaching most people were likely to be home already.

"Well that's good to know," Yurushi responded trying to roll his right shoulder with no success. "It wouldn't be any benefit for me if I couldn't use my sword arm when taking the graduation exam."

"You are going to graduate tomorrow aren't you?" Neji said, likely with an unseen grin.

"But of course," Yurushi responded as they navigated the busy roads of Konoha's mercantile district. "Did you expect anything less?"

"Your fate is unclear to me," Neji answered without taking his eyes from the road before him, "in certain regards at least."

"My fate? Are you _still_ holding to that outlook on life?" Yurushi felt agitated. Neji was more than entitled to believe as he wished, but his views of fate and destiny were quite irritating. Trying to have a discussion about other possible ways the world worked were less than productive. He simply ignored and denied anything that didn't fall in line with his worldview.

"Our fate is set from the moment of our birth. Our job is to discover our fates, and then follow through with them," the genius responded blandly.

"Is that so?" Yurushi rolled his eyes at the notion of one's fate being set in stone. No one but himself could determine what _he_ could do in life, much less the cosmic forces of fate. There may be some greater purpose, some plan or destiny that he was born to accomplish, but _none_ would force him to abide by it.

"It is, and you would be foolish to think otherwise," Neji answered the unspoken objection. "By being born into the Hyūga clan, fate decreed that I would become a ninja. My eyes are the most powerful my clan has seen in generations, and this was how fate determined that I would be a great shinobi. Yet, I was born into a lowly branch family of the clan. Fate had allowed me to achieve greatness, but my life and death will be controlled by the will of the main branch of the Hyūga clan. This was my fate from the moment of my birth, and nothing can change it," the proud branch member explained with no real enthusiasm.

Yurushi had known about the division of his friend's family, and the method to mark that division. The use of the juinjutsu is always controversial, but such is the nature of all cursed sealing techniques. The Hyūga juinjutsu was both elegant and effective. Neji had been willing to show the sealing tag placed upon his forehead once before, and Yurushi was amazed by its design. It protected the Byakugan from those who would take it both while Neji was alive or after his death. In doing so, it ensured that another ninja would not be able to steal the secrets of the Hyūga clan's birthright or techniques. However, the other aspects of the seal were a big mystery to Yurushi. This was not because he did not know what it was designed to do, but he was unable to tell if it was designed to be that way or if it was a careless flaw in the design.

The mystery was a function in the seal that gave the availability to torture and kill its bearer. In Yurushi's mind it had to have been severe oversight in the overall design. It was a horrid notion to think it was purposeful. Nevertheless, that made its use a taboo topic. Even among the village, where clan law and custom is respected and fiercely defended, the use of the Hyūga juinjutsu simply was not broached in coversation. Clearly, no one, not even the main branch, liked the use of the seal. Still, it was there, and likely would never go away.

"What then has fate decreed from my birth Neji?" Yurushi asked. Neji, for as much as he was able to freely dispense the value and worth of others, was never able to give a solid answer to this question. For the young Uzumaki, it was a long running private joke.

"You are vexing to me. On one hand you are like myself, a genius and truly skilled. On the other hand you are related to a hopeless fool, and were born into an obscure clan whose relevance has faded from time. I cannot clearly say what your fate will be, but I would imagine that it will mirror our time in the Academy. You will likely become a splendid shinobi, but will always be second best." Neji answered with his ever present lack of fervor as the pair worked through the last of the late afternoon crowds.

"The Uzumaki clan is not obscure, and their relevance is still present in this village," Yurushi replied trying to keep his growing anger in check. "The crest of my clan is emblazoned on the backs of everyone who wears a flak jacket in this village."

"And yet, no Uzumaki is to be found in the walls of Konoha," Neji answered sparing his sparring partner a brief glance, "yourself and your cousin being the exception to that."

"Still, the Uzumaki clan is not obscure. At the height of our power we established our own hidden village. Our fūinjutsu was feared throughout the world, and we are well known for our long lifespans," Yurushi spoke with pride. His mother was targeted because of her heritage and spent her life defending his. Yurushi would not sit by idly while someone besmirched her name.

"And yet, the clan and their village is no more," Neji struck back.

"But the name is still feared. That much has not changed," the boy's irritation was burning beneath the surface, but he kept his cool in the face of his friends pointed words. It was hard to take, but even Yurushi knew that there was truth to what had been said.

"You cannot fear what you do not know and I have never heard of the Uzumaki clan beyond yourself and your cousin," and though Neji's response didn't sit well Yurushi, he could not ignore the facts that were right before him. His big issue was a simple one. The Uzumaki were not spoken of within Konohagakure, and even in the Academy it was as if the clan had never existed.

"Well, that doesn't mean that my fate is somehow tied into the perceived obscurity of my clan," Yurushi said calming himself down as his home was approaching on the horizon.

"No," Neji said thoughtfully. "Perhaps you're right. Perhaps your clan's past reveals your fate better than anything else. Perhaps, your fate is to achieve greatness and then be struck down by those who fear your power."

"Well," Yurushi was less enthused by this shift in Neji's understanding, but he could not force the young Hyūga to change his views without beating him at his own game, "what would you say Naruto's fate is?"

"Naruto is hopeless and has no business trying to be a shinobi," Neji answered with no illusions to hide his disdain. "His fate is one of failure."

"I can't wait to see the look on your face then," Yurushi said with a smirk. Sure, he was insulted for Naruto, but his cousin seemed to revel in people's doubts, so he took Neji's remarks in stride. "When Naruto becomes Hokage, then where will your views of fate stand?"

"The day Naruto becomes Hokage is the day I am Konoha's top kunoichi," Neji scoffed, his disbelieve more than apparent.

"Then perhaps you should get fitted for a new wardrobe," Yurushi's anger melted into laughter at the thought of a female version of Neji wearing the same contemptuous scowl. "A sky blue dress would be perfect for you. It would make your eyes look like clouds."

"You sound far too certain of Naruto meeting his goals," Neji grunted with well restrained anger caused by the joke made at his expense. "Naruto will never become Hokage. Those who reach that office do so because they have a connection to the previous Hokage."

"Is that so?" Yurushi wondered aloud. Could that be true? Could the system be rigged against those who did not have the right connections? Possibly, but it wouldn't make much sense if the strongest ninja in the village is overlooked for the job simply because he didn't know his predecessors.

"Think about it," Neji responded. They slowed their pace as they inched closer to the Uzumaki apartment building. "The Shodai Hokage founded the village so his appointment to the position was obvious. The Nidaime Hokage was the younger brother to the Shodai. The Sandaime Hokage was a student of the first two. The Yondaime Hokage was a student of Jiraiya of the Sannin who was himself a student of the Sandaime. The Godaime Hokage will likely follow this chain of succession with some connection as well. How then is Naruto connected to the previous Hokage? A connection to just one of them would allow me to believe in the possibility, but even that does not change his lack of skill."

Yurushi smirked, but withheld his knowledge. Jiraya's tutelage had begun to form the same chain of succession that gave the Yondaime his start. Naruto's connection to the Hokage was already being secured, and time would likely deepen that connection. If he could uncover the truth of the Uzumaki clan, and their influence on Konoha then he could possibly find more ways to connect Naruto to a position of leadership. His lack of skill would simply fix itself as he progressed through the Academy.

"Very well," Yurushi conceded halfheartedly. "I guess I'll yield to your views of fate this time, but sooner or later someone or something will force you out of your delusions. I only hope that you will be able to adapt when you finally see how wrong you are."

"Hmm," Neji didn't even pretend to be concerned. "Thank you for the spar, and I will see you tomorrow at the graduation exam."

"See you later Neji," Yurushi replied as he turned toward the entrance to the apartment complex.

Stepping in the door he was welcomed with the smells and sounds that accompanied the several families who lived in the aging building. Dinner was being prepared in many, and many more were having loud discussions about the events of the day. Climbing to the top of the stairs was a daunting challenge that he had not considered before planning the little exhibition at the Hyūga residence. His lungs burned with each breath, and his legs threatened to give way. After struggling to reach the summit he felt as though he could finally relax.

The moment was short lived. Down the hall he saw the Landlord banging on a door, and Yurushi couldn't help himself from sighing in complaint. The position was about right, but perhaps it was for someone else. There was no point in holding out hope for something else though. That man had a personal grudge with Naruto, and always took issue with petty little things. Today, there was likely a more significant purpose. That was of course, if Yurushi had guessed correctly at what his cousin had done.

"Naruto!" The portly man yelled confirming the redhead's suspicion. "I know you're in there! Open this door right now!"

"Sir," Yurushi said as he worked his way to the man, "Naruto is probably not home. I had told him that I would be training with a friend after class let out. He probably went to get dinner at Ramen Ichiraku."

"Yes, well," the man said as he straightened himself up. His hands were fumbling nervously which told Yurushi that older man still remembered the _personalized display_ of the his skill with a blade. "The rent is due and he told me this morning that it would be paid before fifteen hundred hours today."

Sighing, Yurushi reached into his pack. This wouldn't be an issue if the slob that stood before him didn't like sleeping in more than Naruto did. He could have paid the man before he left for class, but the landlord simply didn't like to rise in the morning hours. Withdrawing the money from his pack Yurushi counted it to be sure it was all there, and handed it over.

"Sorry for the delay," Yurushi said with a slight bow. "My cousin knew I would be paying the rent, but must have forgotten that I would be getting home late."

"Hmm, yes well," the man counted the money once, twice, and a third time before he was satisfied. "Everything seems to be in order here. All is forgiven." With a speed Yurushi had not imagined possible, the man left.

'_Apparently he remembers exactly what I can do with a sword,_' Yurushi thought as he entered his home.

Stepping through the threshold of the front door was hazardous, as a pillow nearly struck him in the face. Naruto was flipping over the cushions of the couch, and pieces of this and that were strewn across the floor. In the kitchen drawers were opened and their contents emptied. The refrigerator door was open.

"Sorry boss," yelled a familiar blond who stepped out of the hallway leading to the bedrooms. "There isn't anything in our room."

"Dammit!" The blond, who was presently digging through the couch, yelled out. His cousin or his doppelganger, whichever was the case, seemed panicked. "Where is it? Where is it? Where is it? Where is it?"

"Nothing in here boss!" Another voice rang out from the bathroom. Likely it belonged to another copy of his crazed relative.

"Naruto," Yurushi began to understand the situation he had walked into as he closed the door. "If you are looking for the rent money I had it."

"You had it?" His cousin questioned hysterically as he turned from his hunched position over the couch to lock eyes. "Did you give it to the landlord? He's been banging on the door ever since I got home, and he sounds pretty mad."

"Yes I had it," Yurushi declared with a little frustration. Naruto seemed quite prone to forget if his focus was not fixed on what was being said. "I told you I would have it, but I would pay after I got back from training with Neji."

"Oh," Naruto cried in relief and sudden recollection. The clones suddenly puffed out of existence with their mission scrubbed by the new information. "How did the training go?"

"I lost again," Yurushi admitted as he crossed the hallway and entered his room in order to lay down his weapons and carried belongings.

Much like Naruto's room, his was small but cozy. There was a bed and a rack upon which he reverently placed his swords. In the corner of the room across from the bed there was an old oak desk. Its surface was littered with scrolls and scribbled paper and brushes and ink and a half used candle. Long hours were poured over the surface of that desk, and the window directly in front of it gave a great view of the village. Against the wall opposite the bed there was a bookshelf filled to the brim with scrolls and tomes of all kinds. Some were written by his Sensei, and contained beautiful poetry. Others were written by his mother, and were lessons meant for his eyes only. A small few were gifted to him by Jiraiya-sensei. Those had gotten the most use of late. Next to the shelf, there was a closet full of clothes and other types of apparel more befitting a ninja-in-training.

"You'll get him sooner or later," Naruto shouted as Yurushi navigated his room. It was becoming more cluttered than he cared for. Cleaning it would soon be necessary. "Believe it!"

"I do _believe it_," Yurushi mocked as he gathered a change of clothes for after he had bathed. "What frustrates me isn't that I loose, but that Neji always says he has been fated to win."

"What?!" Naruto cried out, obviously he held the same objection. "That's stupid! Anybody can beat anybody else if they try hard enough."

"I agree in principle," Yurushi said as he set his change of clothes in the bathroom. If not by physical effort, then victory could be achieved by careful planning. "He even said that my fate was tied into the fate of our clan."

"Do you mean that your hidden village is going to be destroyed?" Naruto asked with a puzzled look on his face.

"Umm, no. I meant that he thinks I'll either be destroyed at the height of my power or I will fade into obscurity as time goes on," Yurushi corrected as his cousin's face scrunched up in thought. Yurushi had spoken to Naruto at length about the Uzumaki clan. He shared all that he knew of it and its untimely fate with his younger kin. The blond was thirsty to learn of his newfound family, but Yurushi did not have much to share. His mother gave him a survey history of the clan, but did not spend much time in her writings elaborating on the clan's storied past. Much of what she had written was in depth detail about the Uzumaki style of fūinjutsu.

"He has to be wrong. The whole clan couldn't have been destroyed," Naruto began as the thought was obviously still being developed in his bright blond head. "I mean, you and I were born into the clan so we had to have parents who were Uzumaki, right?"

Yurushi was about to correct his cousin's logic, but he stopped himself and thought about what was said. His research had turned up nothing for two reasons. The first was obviously that information surrounding the Uzumaki clan had to have been classified at some level, and the Public Archives would never hold such knowledge. The second had just been revealed by his whisker faced cousin's stroke of genius. His mother had not given birth to him within the village, and all the scrolls she had left him did not suggest deep ties to any village at all. Simply put, she was never here so there would be no information on Uzumaki Akane. Naruto, however, _was_ born in the village. Some record had to exist pointing toward his parentage. He had been approaching the mystery of his clan from the wrong angle. Naruto was the key.

"Yes," Yurushi said slowly as he formulated an idea. "I think you might be right."

Naruto beamed at the thought of being correct about something that Yurushi had been stressing over. His cousin wanted to help people, and was more than happy when he could. In this case it was more than just helping someone. It was a matter of family, and discovering who you were. Yurushi understood what he needed to do, but lacked the information to pull it off.

"Naruto, do you know where I can find information on something in the village?" The crimson haired Uzumaki asked.

"The Public Archives has all sorts of stuff," Naruto answered quickly.

"I've checked there already," Yurushi expounded. "I am looking for information that would be more, secretive than what the Public Archives has."

"Well," Naruto's gaze shifted back and forth as if he was looking for eavesdroppers before continuing. "The second basement of the Chūnin Command Center is nothing but the Secured Records Department. I don't know what kind of records are in there, but I'm sure that has way more information than the Public Archives."

"I'm going to shower off real quick, and then I'll need your help," synapses were firing in his brain. Thoughts were going a mile a minute and all of them were pointed toward one singular goal: uncover the secrets that lie within the Chūnin Command Center.

"So, you wanna break into the Chūnin Command Center's records vault?" Naruto asked with a mischievous grin. Yurushi quickly learned that cousin was a devious mind, and that cheshire grin did more to define it than anything else could.

"You aren't going to try and stop me are you?" Yurushi asked with a sarcastic tone. Naruto wouldn't stop him from something like this, and he was too much of a prankster to pass up getting involved.

"Go do whatever you need to, and while you're getting ready I'll grab my blue prints and my notes," Naruto said as he rushed off to gather all the plans he drafted and notes he complied that were stored in his room. The swordsman quirked an eyebrow at the thought of his cousin planning for a simple prank with such care for details, but was curious whether the plans were kept as a memento of his victory or just in case he felt like striking the same target twice.

Yurushi nearly laughed as he entered the bathroom. His cousin really was one of a kind. The kid was a total mess, and a complete spaz, but he was ready for action at a moment's notice. The blond really was something else, and Yurushi was mere moments away from discovering just what that something else entailed. Soon, the village would spill its secrets. Soon, that which was hidden in the shadows of Konoha would be brought to light.

The notion suddenly inspired a poem. The words flowed as water. The redhead rushed though his shower all the while editing and revising his latest work of art. Satisfied, he did his best to commit it to memory and he made a mad dash to return to his room. The window outside revealed that the night sky was beginning to take shape. The oranges and deep reds commanded the horizon still, but the crescent moon shone with perfect clarity. The last line changed on the spot as he reached for his brush and a blank spot on a scroll he used for taking notes. The characters formed as his hand moved fluidly from one line to the next.

_Wild and free_

_The shadows are growing thin_

_Moonlit revelation_

He spared a second glance at the moon before he stepped out of his room. Tonight would certainly reveal several truths that had been out of his grasp for far too long.

* * *

**Let me know what you think about the story so far, and thanks for reading!**


	8. Secrets Remain

**Chapter 8: Secrets Remain**

"Secrets are generally terrible. Beauty is not hidden – only ugliness and deformity." - L.M. Montgomery

* * *

A cool breeze licked against the back of his neck sending chills down his spine. The early autumn evening was perfect. It was neither too hot, nor too cold, and the moon was only at half strength so there was just enough light for sneaking around. With a catlike grace he moved swiftly across the rooftops with his follower in tow. It wasn't for another month and a half, and it wasn't a real prank, but tonight was like an early birthday present for Naruto. He and his cousin were going on their own covert ops mission together. It was true blue, certified, shinobi business. It was just like the movies, but way cooler.

Sure this was a mission that could land both he and his cousin into some serious trouble if they got busted, but they weren't real ninja just yet so the punishment couldn't be too severe. Could it? '_Nah! If we get caught I'll just tell the old man that I was going to prank some chūnin who worked in the Records Department by reorganizing the Archives. He'll buy that…I hope._'

Three blocks from their target Naruto signaled for a stop. It was about time for the regular ANBU patrol to be rolling through. They'd pass just a block away and any movement or chakra used would set them on alert. Yurushi moved over toward him. His naturally grey eyes took on a darker edge in the weak moonlight, and his dark red hair looked almost black. The metamorphosis was a bit startling, but pretty fitting for the mission at hand. The biggest change was the all of the black clothing his cousin now wore. The only part of his outfit that wasn't as black as the night sky were his navy shinobi sandals and the Uzumaki crest pinned onto his left shoulder. The trinket was symbolic of their home village, and very similar to the one he wore. Until Yurushi explained its relationship to the clan the blond had just thought it a cool addition to his outfit. At the time he wore it because the whirlpool pattern matched his name, but now it was a part of his name.

Peeking over the ledge of the building's roof he saw no movements in the suspected area and he hunkered back down. Yurushi crept up closer toward him and tried to stay out of sight.

"So," his cousin whispered, "what's our plan. You said you'd fill me in on the go."

"Yeah," Naruto whispered back "So, the changing of the guard at the Command Center takes place in twenty minutes. We have to time our entry with that. The entire sub-basement where the secure records are is pretty much on lock down."

"So how do we enter?" Yurushi looked puzzled.

"There is a duct system that runs through the entire building and there is an entry point that we can use on the roof. We should be small enough to crawl through, and it's out of the way enough for nobody to notice us up there. The alarm would be set off if we were to open the grate that covers the vents; however, it is disabled for maybe two to five minutes during a guard change so a couple of chūnin can check outside the building."

"Okay," Yurushi nodded in understanding. "Once we're in how much time do we have before we have to leave? I assume we will be in there until the next guard change."

"Yeah we'll be stuck in there until the next change, but they rotate stations every hour." Naruto answered with what was sure to be a wicked grin. His little dead fish stunt had made him something of legend among the chūnin at the Command Center. Apparently, old man Hokage hadn't told a soul about the fish shoved inside the couch. It took them twenty nine days to find it, and only then did they get an explanation as to how it got there. Apparently, that sneaky old man decided to use the whole prank as a way to test the readiness of his chūnin. The ninja were thoroughly embarrassed from what Naruto had heard. '_At least they learned their lesson and are guarding the place a lot better, but it still isn't perfect._'

"So we'll get in, look around for an hour, and get out?" Yurushi asked in summary

"Yup," Naruto confirmed.

"What about the guards that are going to be in the Records Department? How do we avoid them?" Yurushi asked. It was a valid concern, but not one to worry too much over.

"I don't know for sure how things are now, but the night guards used to be far more laid back. They usually holed up in an office inside the archives. We should be okay if we stay quiet. Besides, unless they reorganized everything the information we are looking for is on the far end opposite of where the guards would be."

Yurushi's silence did not belie his understanding. Naruto had signaled quiet as he heard a suspicious sound. He peered over the ledge to see the ANBU patrol speed by. It was time to move. They had seventeen minuets to get to their destination and sneak in. If they didn't make that time table they would be stuck in the ventilation system for an hour. Naruto didn't want to be out too late anyway. Yurushi had his graduation exam tomorrow, and he would need a good night sleep so he could do his best. Naruto remembered when he took the exam, and it was hard. Yurushi was twenty times smarter and better than he was, but it was still a challenge.

With the patrol passed, it was time to move. Naruto leapt forward to the adjacent rooftop and ran toward the next. The feeling of soaring through the air, it was freedom. As if the weight and pressures of life could not hold him down. He had learned that gravity could hold him down just fine, but for a brief moment he could skirt its authority a feel totally unbound. Moving toward his target was a moment of unbridled joy, and this time he had a friend and a brother to share it with.

Stopping once again as the Chūnin Command Center was upon them, Naruto carefully viewed the surrounding streets and alleyways from the roof of a shop across from his destination.

"How much time?" his cousin asked in hushed tones.

"Eight minutes to get into the ducts," Naruto answered quietly as he looked for guards around the building.

The pitch black alleys and dimly lit streets of the village seemed to echo the true nature of his home. Konoha was a place of shadows and secrets. Darkness surrounded it, the village was bathed in it, and there were some places in the village where the light would never reach. During the day one could see that the village was a place of peace, hope, and happiness. At night, once the sun set, the village showed its true face. The mysteries that lie in wait in the shadows; where the truths that the village hid from the world lived. Naïve was a word that Naruto had heard as a description of himself. He didn't know what it meant, but if they thought he didn't know anything about how the world worked they were sorely mistaken. Just as the darkness of night consumed the village, Naruto was well aware of the evils that gnawed at the hearts of men. He himself was subject to several of these evils.

Turning to his cousin he thought. Yurushi had seen much similar circumstances as he had. Yurushi never knew his parents, and had been pretty close to alone all of his life. Sure, he had a Sensei who taught him in his early years, but he had also been abandoned to live in a place and with people he did not know. Yet over the past year they had grown into some sort of relationship that resembled brothers. Or at least it resembled what Naruto had always imagined a big brother to be like. They had their fights and disagreements, and they tried to give each other enough space to do their own thing and be their own person. At the end of the day though, they always had each other's back. No matter what happened, Yurushi was always watching out for him. As he gave the signal to move out Naruto understood that this brotherhood was the reason he was here.

Yurushi followed him in silence as they moved to the grated covering on the air duct. Three minutes before he could safely open it and then maybe five minutes to make it into the secured archives room. It would be close, but there should be plenty of time for them to pull it off. The blond heard a door open, and the murmuring of voices from the alley behind him. The guards were early in patrolling the building perimeter. If they opened and closed the door the alarm to the outside of the building had been turned off, but it would not stay that way for much longer.

Naruto worked the grate off its secured position as quietly as he could. He couldn't help but smile. The extra alarm systems had been a hasty addition after his little infiltration a year ago. The alarms were all divided and slaved to specific regions of the building. It was the chink in the armor that would allow himself and his cousin to successfully infiltrate the _secured_ records. The system wouldn't allow the guards free passage, nor could they shutdown individual alarms, but were forced to turn off the alarms of an entire region. So anytime the guards changed posts the chūnin operating at the security hub would turn off the alarms so they didn't have to listen to the blaring noise that a tripped alarm was sure to make.

Naruto squeezed into the air duct for the second time in his life, and Yurushi reattached the grate behind his own entry. They seemed to form an effortless sort of teamwork. His cousin, for the most part, knew what to do without being told. They picked up on one another's cues well, and it made Naruto feel pretty hopeful about joining his own team of shinobi in a year. He was never one to prank a person twice, and certainly never repeated a prank. This was not a prank though, and one misstep could mean real trouble. In general, it was great practice for when he finally received his hitai-ate and became a true shinobi. Hands and feet pressed against the metallic walls the pair descended, careful not to cause too much noise or misplace a hand. Falling to the bottom of this shaft would probably result in a very loud, very nasty injury.

The sub-basement that they were looking for was two stories below ground level, and each movement closer to their final destination caused Naruto to tense up a little bit. Nerves were starting to get the best of him. He had snuck into places he was not supposed to be before, but the nature of those break-ins was different. In the past he had gone to prank someone who had done him wrong, made fun of him, or deliberately ignored his existence. This time he was intentionally breaking the law, and only because Yurushi asked for his help.

'_This is for the right reasons though. Yurushi wants to find out what happened to our clan, so it isn't that bad right? I mean, we should know what happened to our family. Shouldn't we?_' Naruto questioned to himself. As he maneuvered himself into the right metallic tunnel he looked back to see if Yurushi had made it. There wasn't much time left, and if the guard had moved early outside, then they may be early now. There must have been a hint of guilt written on his face.

"It's alright. We have a right to know what happened to our clan," Yurushi whispered as he worked his way into the tributary vent. Naruto's redheaded cousin seemed so sure that they were doing the right thing. He was always so confident, so sure of himself. The blond couldn't help but wonder if there was ever a doubt in his cousin's mind. Was there ever a moment of hesitation? Did anything cause him to pause?

They wormed through the vent until the first possible entry came into Naruto's view. Peering through the half obscured covering Naruto could see two guards standing by the entrance to the archive's glass doors. They seemed to be waiting for something, but he couldn't tell. If they had already changed guard then he was stuck in the vents for another hour. '_That would suck! It would be so boring being trapped in here for a whole hour!_'

Thoughts of being cramped up in the tin can of a vent with absolutely nothing to do horrified Naruto for a brief moment. He wasn't about to give up on the idea of getting into the archive room, but he certainly didn't want to trigger the alarm. So he sat and watched.

"Shouldn't we get into position," Yurushi suggested underneath his breath, "you know, just in case?"

"I won't be able to see the guards from our entry point," Naruto lamented. This was the fatal flaw of his plan. Double timing it from point a to point b, a fourteen meter distance, while crawling through a confined metal tube, and trying to remain absolutely silent was a difficult proposition.

"I'll signal you when the door opens," Yurushi said. "Go ahead and get in position. There is no way both of us will be able to make it in that window of time."

Yurushi was probably right. It was far too short a time to accomplish all they needed to in order to breach the security and enter with perfect stealth. Naruto nodded and began to move toward the planned point of entry. With all of the vents in the sub-basements on ground level avoiding the security system would be pretty easy, but exiting could be tricky. It was more difficult to tell when they could leave the building safely since you couldn't see the guards exit. '_If only I could kawarimi myself through like a window, or a glass door, or something._'

"Naruto," Yurushi whispered harshly to him. "Hurry up, and go when you get there!"

'_Aww shit,_' Naruto groaned inwardly. '_They must have started the change already._'

Rushing while remaining quiet was difficult, but with the guards chatting for a little bit they may not hear his movements. '_Hopefully they won't hear anything_.' He approached his checkpoint. Prying the grate off was a simple maneuver, but speed and silence were once again the benchmarks of success. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he loosed the edges of the metal covering. Prying it off the hinges and moving through the tight opening without being greeted to the blaring screams of an alarm was a small victory. He quickly set about popping the grate back in place and hoped the guards hadn't begun to patrol; or worse already knew they had infiltrated.

Having finished his work with no deafening sounds alerting every chūnin in the building was another small victory. He turned around and saw at the end of the isle he was in that a light was fast approaching. The guards were checking the area and he was stuck with nowhere to go. He looked back at the grate. There was no way he could hide in the ducts without the risk of tripping the alarm. There was no way he could hide on one of the shelves that flanked him on either side. Each shelf was filled to the brim with all kinds of books and scrolls.

'_Well crap! Yurushi's not going to be very happy about this one._' Naruto mused to himself as he looked up toward the heavens. The sky was concealed at the moment so cursing, nor pleading with Kami-sama, would have the same effect. Then he noticed something. The bookshelves did not quite reach the ceiling panels. There was a small space that he may be able to fit in between. He climbed up the shelving hoping beyond all hope that his luck would hold.

He reached the top and it looked doable, so he squeezed his small frame into the space and froze. He turned his head and saw Yurushi in a very similar position signaling for him to hold and wait. Their hand signals had been developed over the past year. Apparently, Mizuki-sensei had assigned his to class pair off and develop a method of non-verbal communication. Yurushi had partnered with that ninjatō wielding kid named Kenshi, and then proceeded to teach the blond haired boy so he could practice at home. The language was not in depth, but it was diverse enough to use in field ops. At least it was in his mind. Naruto hadn't much experience with real ninja work, but the signals worked pretty well.

Minutes of tense waiting kept Naruto on edge as the pair of chūnin walked through the archives shining a light down each and every row of shelves. It was only a cursory inspection and luckily they had not seen either of the intruders. Still, Naruto was having a hard time. Cleaning, apparently, was not on the top of the maintenance list for this place as the thick layer of dust was tickling his nasal passages. All he needed to do was hold the sneeze until the guards walked into the main office in the archives. Holding back the inevitable was beyond his skill. He did his best to muffle the sneeze, though it didn't help much.

"What was that?" one guard said with caution. Naruto prayed to whomever could hear him that neither of the guards were a Hyūga. He couldn't remember much of what his cousin had told him the Byakugan could do, but he knew it enhanced vision.

Naruto quickly moved from the top of the shelf and waited on the rungs of his makeshift ladder for any sign of danger. The solid backs of the shelving meant that the pair of chūnin couldn't see him, but he also could not see them without peering over the top. Judging by the lights moving back and forth across the ceiling, poking his head over the top to get a look would not be a safe maneuver.

"Come on Iwana," another voice groaned. "There is nothing there."

"We should do another sweep just to be sure," the guard named Iwana responded.

"Are you serious?" the other voice complained. "There isn't anything here but dusty old tomes. There isn't even any information worth taking."

"All information is worth taking if the circumstances are right Tsuzumi," Iwana scolded. "It is our job to be thorough."

"Can't you just chill out Iwana? It's been a long and rough day, and I haven't had any real rest in thirty hours," Tsuzumi yawned. Naruto seriously hoped that this guy would win their little debate. Any extra scrutiny to the presence of intruders would put a tragic end to this little mission.

"If this were a field op then it wouldn't matter how little sleep you've had, so why should I _chill out_ when village security is just as important as any other mission?" Iwana questioned back. Naruto was sweating bullets. Too scared to move, blink, or even breathe; all he could do was wait for the storm to pass. Yurushi was in a worse position than he was being so much closer to the guards than he was.

"The only person who as ever even bothered sneaking into this building was Naruto, and he was just pulling a pretty nasty prank. I slept on that couch for a few hours, and I just thought something had died in the fridge," Tsuzumi's words made Naruto wish he could erupt in laughter. The guy slept on the smell of dead fish for hours, and the blond imagined that by the end of the chūnin's nap the smell of rotting fish had rubbed off.

"If that little brat was capable of sneaking in, then anyone could do it," Iwana shot back. "Besides, what if the next time isn't just a prank? What if the next time he tries to steal a jutsu or vital information? He's dangerous, and nothing he does should be taken lightly!"

"I agree," Tsuzumi said. Unseen by all, Naruto's face fell. These people, these ninja, saw him the same way the villagers did. They hated him. They thought he was dangerous. They believed he was a threat to the village. Never had there been any reason for this type of thinking, and Naruto had done his best to give them no cause to believe any of it. Still, these were widely held sentiments that were deeply ingrained into the hearts of the village. There were a precious few that actually treated him as though he were a person, and would acknowledge his existence without prompting, prodding, or pranking. Even if they weren't very close, those people meant the world to Naruto and he would do anything for them.

"Well," Tsuzumi continued, "you can double check things if you like, but I'm going to radio into the security center and try to take things easy."

"There doesn't seem to be anything here," Iwana sighed. "I guess I'll check in as well. I brought some scrolls from home so I can do research on an idea I had for a new jutsu."

"Really?" Tsuzumi perked up with his question. "What kind of jutsu are you trying to create?"

The voices of the men became less and less audible and the loud clang of a metal door was heard closing. '_Finally, they went into the office. I thought they would never leave!_' Naruto thought as he hopped down from the shelf. He edged closer to the end of the isle and carefully peeked out to see no sign of the chūnin guards. Yurushi stepped out from the isle he was in and nodded at Naruto. The mission was on now.

Naruto ran quietly across the great room as he scanned for his destination. Caution was still at the forefront of every moment as the office in the front corner of the room had window panes that would allow the guards to peer out into the expanse that was the archives. With all of the lights off, it was quite dark. That would play to the benefit of the intruders, but Naruto was careful not to move too quickly for fear of bumping into something and causing an accident. Getting caught at this point would just be a waste of time.

The section of shelves that he found was marked by its place in an alphanumeric ordering system. The history, members, and some early service records of each clan and family that ever produced a ninja was likely to have been collected amongst the scrolls and tomes of the archives. Approaching the section where his clan name would be, he began to search thoroughly. The scrolls and books were very well organized, but there were so many. Naruto groaned inwardly just wishing he could utilize the Kage Bunshin technique to speed things along. '_I can't find anything. Kage Bunshin would help out, but if I use chakra those chūnin will catch me for sure._'

After searching for what seemed like hours he found one scroll that bore his family crest. It looked like that it was the only one, but it was huge. Pulling it out from its confines he nearly doubled over trying to heave the thing to a nearby table. '_Damn! That thing is half as big as I am, and it's so heavy. Yurushi is gonna owe me some ramen big time!_'

"Any luck?" his cousin's voice whispered.

"Yeah," Naruto said trying to catch his breath. "I found a giant scroll. This thing weighs a ton, so it has to have something useful in it."

"Good," Yurushi said as he placed a small collection of scrolls on the table next to Naruto's find. "I pulled a few census records from eighty to twenty years ago. If that is a clan history, then all we have to do is find the names of the last female members of the clan."

"Why are we looking for women's names?" Naruto was confused again. Yurushi liked to think things through in his head, but didn't always say everything that he had planned. It was annoying at times, but he had accepted that shy aspect of his cousin's character. "I thought we were trying to find out why they all just vanished."

"I doubt we'll find that sort of information here," Yurushi answered. "That would probably be very privileged information, heavily classified, and carefully guarded."

"Oh," Naruto breathed with half an understanding of what his cousin had said. "So what are we looking for then?"

"The last female Uzumaki to live in the village," Yurushi declared. "I believe that the last woman in our clan to live here was your mother, and if we can find out who she is we may just be able to figure out what happened to our family, or at least the ones that lived here."

"My mom? Really?" Naruto was stunned. He knew he had a mother and a father, but they were amorphous figures who just sort of existed for the sake of explaining how he came to be. Old man Hokage never told him their names, just that they were ninja who died defending the village soon after he was born. So now his cousin was offering to give a name to this person. He was going to have a face to this woman who brought him into the world. Now he could learn about who she was, and who he was. "You really want to figure out who my mom is?"

"Shhh," Yurushi warned. Naruto thought he was quiet, but perhaps his excitement had increased his volume a little higher than his cousin was comfortable with. "Yes, I think if we can find out what happened to her then we can find a trail to follow, and that trail should lead us back to whatever caused the destruction of our clan."

Naruto understood the mission at hand now and grabbed one of the scrolls that Yurushi had brought. Not even bothering to check the year of the census, he opened it up and began scanning its contents hoping to find a name of consequence. The problem was that there were thousands upon tens of thousands of names listed, and in no particular order. It could take years for him to sort through all of it. The top of the list was getting boring. He needed a change of pace. '_Maybe if I just unravel the whole thing and the scan it as I roll it back up. Yeah, that'll do it!_'

Unleashing the scroll's full length caught his redheaded cousin a bit by surprise before he returned to his own work. Scanning through the last few names he saw one of particular interest. One Senju Hashirama was the last head of household listed in the census for that year. Shodai Hokage, the very words escaped his lips and he held his breath a little. The founder and first leader of the village, a man of incredible power, and the first of four men that Naruto had sworn that he would one day surpass. He had placed himself on the census last, a clear sign that he saw himself as the least important of all the people in the village. So now he had to surpass not only the Shodai's skill and reputation as a ninja, but also his character and reputation as a man.

After making that solemn vow to himself he returned a careful eye to the parchment he held. Listed under the Shodai Hokage were the names of his wife and the rest of his family. That was when he saw it. He tapped Yurushi on the shoulder and pointed to the writing on the page.

"Uzumaki Mito," Yurushi read. "To think, one of our clan was married to the Shodai. This must be an older census, so I doubt that she is your mother. Still, it's a good find. Good work Naruto. Find a census with a bit more recent of a date and I'll look and see if I can find anything on the matriarch."

Yurushi moved to pour himself over the large Uzumaki scroll, and Naruto reached for another of the census records. Checking the date and finding it to be more than thirty years old he decided to repeat the process and work from the bottom up. Scanning through the names he was disappointed to find the decedents of Shodai were absent, but a new name took its place at the bottom of the list. Namikaze Minato, Konoha no Kiiroi Senkō, Yondaime Hokage, and the best shinobi Konohagakure had ever produced. Although it would be years from the day of the census that he attained the titles, but it was still a touch of destiny that his name would be listed where the Shodai's was some fifty years before.

Namikaze Minato's name was listed alone. Just as he stood alone against the Kyūbi no Yōko as they locked in mortal combat. His personal hero was ever the mystery, but the silent resolve to defend the village no matter the cost was the legacy that the Yondaime had carved for himself. That resolve was reflected in the man's stone image that overlooked the village alongside his predecessors.

If he was to surpass all of the Hokage, Naruto knew he would need to find it in himself to be willing to follow the Yondaime's example. He would need to be willing to lay down his life to protect the village. He would need to be willing to die for people who likely hated him. The blond could not help but wonder if he could do something so selfless. There had been little reason given to even want to protect the people who so easily and so callously pretended he did not exist. Still, he swore to surpass the Hokage, and he would never go back on his word. Somehow, someway, he would find it in himself to be like the Yondaime.

Minutes crawled by as Naruto continued to read all of the names that had been scrawled upon the scroll. He wasn't too sure about some of the names, but he did recognize a few to be members of the various clans that some of his classmates belonged to. Yawning, Naruto was trying to contain his boredom. His cousin loved reading and studying this sort of thing. To him it was like solving a puzzle, but to Naruto it was just reading a bunch of names on a piece of paper. It was entirely boring, but he told Yurushi he would help, and he would never go back on his word.

After what felt like an eternity Naruto stumbled upon the names of several Uzumaki clansmen. He rubbed his eyes and yawned once more trying to wake himself up. Checking the names again he found that he was not hallucinating. He gained the attention of his cousin once more who returned to Naruto's side. While his cousin scanned the contents of the census Naruto leaned over to look at what Yurushi had been reading.

A small excerpt had been listed under the name Uzumaki Mito, and it contained very little details on the woman's life. There was something written about an official treaty between Uzushiogakure and Konohagakure, the solidification of that treaty with a political marriage, and an outline of a mission history for the woman. There were no details on the missions; it was just a count of how many she took of a particular rank. Up until this year he didn't even know that missions were divided by a rank. It was amazing how much he had learned now that he actually paid attention in class, for the most part.

Either way, nothing of consequence had been written about the woman. The dates between her birth and her death were quite startling. '_Whoa! This lady was really, really, really old!_' Naruto thought wondering how it was possible to live over a hundred years, or even how anyone could even occupy their time for a hundred years. There was so much that he could do, but wondered if he would just get bored after accomplishing everything he wanted to. '_Well, I guess after I retire from being Hokage I could pull off some new pranks. I should have all kinds of new material to work with by then._'

"Alright, there are three names here that could be who we are looking for," Yurushi said returning to the giant Uzumaki scroll. "How much time do we have left?"

Checking the time Naruto answered. "We have twelve minutes before we need to get in position."

Naruto had never seen his cousin move with such a feverish pace outside of his regular combat training. The kid really wanted answers, and was clearly desperate to find the answers that had eluded him so far. He had slowed his frantic searching for the moment and Naruto peaked over his shoulder to get a glimpse of what his cousin was looking at. The names he was skimming through had matched several of the ones listed in the latest census. Naruto was a little disappointed that there were no pictures to accompany all the names. The blond double checked the time and wished their close call with security hadn't taken so long. They needed more time, and taking the scrolls, while tempting, would only cause more problems than it would solve.

"Here, Naruto look at this," Yurushi murmured. Naruto looked at the list of names that the redheaded Uzumaki had pointed to, but didn't really know what he was supposed to be seeing. His cousin must have figured that out. "These are the people listed in the census. There were fourteen that arrived in the village two years before Uzumaki Mito died. All of them were ninja except for one girl. When they came to the village she was around our age. The rest of the group was comprised entirely of shinobi. They don't have much of a mission profile, but from the ranks of the missions they took I would say that they were all chūnin at least. Three, maybe four of them, were jōnin. The eldest one of the group never really took missions, but this profile does mention that he was an expert in combat-grade fūinjutsu."

"What does that mean?" Naruto pondered. He didn't get it. Yurushi was smarter than him, but sometimes the blond couldn't help but wonder if his cousin saw things that simply were not there.

"If I had to guess," Yurushi began cautiously as if still putting all of the pieces together. "I would say that they were brought in as body guards, but I can't tell if they were here to protect the matriarch or the girl in their group. Funny thing, the girl has the least amount of information in the scroll. There's just a name, a date of birth, some mission records, and a date of death."

"Well what's so funny about that, that's pretty much all that is listed for the rest of our clan," Naruto grunted in slight frustration. Yurushi was three steps ahead, and not doing a very good job of keeping him up to date.

"Yeah, you're right," Yurushi relented. "It's just all of the dates that the rest of the clan members were reported dead are really close together. I mean really close, weeks if not days apart. It looks kind of suspicious. Another thing is the girl survived whatever killed off the rest of the clan."

"You mean that she was the last Uzumaki in the village before I was born?" Naruto was breathless this was his mother. It had to be. "What's her name?"

"Quiet," Yurushi warned. "Her name is Uzumaki Kushina. I suspect that she could be your mother, but the date of her death is about twenty six years ago. According to these records she died long before you were born, but I'm not seeing anyone else who could fit the bill."

Crestfallen Naruto couldn't help the tears forming in the corner of his eyes. It was a dead end after all. His parents may as well have been myths or ghosts. They might have existed, but they had abandoned him, just as Yurushi had been abandoned. Rubbing his eyes to stem the flow of tears, the blond collected himself. "We need to get outta here or we're gonna get caught."

Yurushi collected the various scrolls that he had pulled from shelves in order to return them. "Will you be able to tell when the guard change is taking place?"

"Yeah I'll hear them," Naruto said with a slight sniff as he prepared to hoist the giant scroll back onto its proper resting place. "We should split up and go back home separate ways, just in case we are trailed."

"I'll see you back there then," Yurushi nodded in agreement gathering the scrolls he had picked off the shelves.

His cousin disappeared from view, and Naruto was left alone staring at the giant scroll that detailed the history of his clan.

"_Uzumaki Kushina,_" the page read. "_Academy Student promoted to genin and again promoted to chūnin through her performance in the Chūnin Exams. Missions Completed: S – 0, A – 0, B – 2, C – 6, D – 19. Birthday July 10th in the year 27 AKF. Originally a citizen of Uzushiogakure. Legally immigrated to Konohagakure in the year 37 AKF, and enrolled into the Academy. Graduated from Academy in the year 38 AKF and promoted to chūnin the following year. Died in the year 41 AKF in a skirmish with Kumogakure shinobi._"

The entry was mechanical and dry. Completely devoid of all life or emotion, and it was unfitting for the young girl who Naruto had suspected to be his mother. Clearly, the entry had been written by someone not of the clan. The writing had no soul, and only a person detached from the story would be able to stick to facts alone. Perhaps, the name Uzumaki was not really his after all. Perhaps it was a ploy, a well-crafted story, to ensure that he had some sense of identity and connection to a past. Maybe his past, his name, his life was all just a lie that the Hokage had told him because the old man didn't know, but didn't have the heart to give him the truth. '_No! That can't be true! It isn't true! The old man wouldn't lie to me like that. If he didn't know who I was he would tell me that he didn't know. He wouldn't make up some crazy story like that._'

Returning the huge scroll back to fill the empty space it left on the shelf Naruto readied himself to make a stealthy escape. Yurushi didn't seem quite disturbed, or maybe he was. It was hard to tell what his cousin's silence meant sometimes, but maybe Yurushi had an idea as to what happened. Or maybe he was just as lost as Naruto was. The mission held a degree of success, but they had discovered more questions that remained unanswered. The only one that Naruto felt his mind focusing on was born of a possibility that had been awakened during all the sneaking around. '_Where do I come from?_'

* * *

The apartment was dark. Yurushi thought better when he could focus, and right now after his eyes had become so well adjusted to the absence of light, the shadows of midnight helped him focus.

'_A small group of Uzumaki clan members journeyed here just before the matriarch died. An elder of the clan, skilled in combat fūinjutsu, three four man cells, and a civilian girl in training to become a ninja all left their home and came to live in this village. The entire group died within five years of their arrival. The adults died of various fatal illnesses. Highly unusual for a shinobi to die of an illness rather than an enemy, it's almost suspicious. Any medical records that exist would probably reflect the official story. Only the civilian girl died in combat. Mission records are probably classified. Still, no other Uzumaki lived in the village between the times of her death and Naruto's birth. The DNA testing Hokage-sama did when I first arrived confirmed that Naruto and I are blood relatives. The only logical answer is that the death of Uzumaki Kushina was faked, but to what end?_'

Blinding, painful light sprung into existence and Yurushi covered his eyes with his hands. Burying his face into a nearby pillow to prevent the light from spilling through his cupped hands he almost didn't hear his cousin greet him.

"What are ya sittin' in the dark for?" The blue eyed boy questioned. Yurushi shot a glare letting Naruto know that he had disturbed something. The look of guilt that crept over Naruto's face softened his own gaze. It was difficult to stay angry at the kid for too long.

"I was just thinking," Yurushi answered gently to ease Naruto's slight guilt, "and I was going to go to sleep soon so the light wasn't needed."

"Oh," Naruto responded closing the door again. The boy looked a little disappointed. Clearly the information that had been gleaned from the Archives had not been very satisfying to Naruto either. Yurushi had dangled the idea of finding the identity of Naruto's mother out in front of him only for it to be denied.

"Naruto," Yurushi began. He needed to explain his suspicions, and he needed to make sure Naruto understood that even though he felt confident about them they were only suspicions. "I believe that several things have been hidden regarding the fate of our clan. I think this is done in part because no one is certain who was behind the destruction of our clan's village, but I think that there is something else at work here."

There was silence and Naruto had given him his utmost attention. "I suspect," Yurushi continued, "that the arrival of fourteen members of the Uzumaki clan, coincide with the death of Uzumaki Mito in some way. They arrived for a purpose, and needed to accomplish something before she died. They did not leave after her death, but stayed. This could be because their home was destroyed by then or there could be another reason. Thirteen able bodied shinobi at least chūnin in rank all died of natural causes, while a teenage girl who was a certifiable rookie ninja died in combat. After the death of Uzumaki Kushina there are twenty six years where no Uzumaki lived in the village, yet you were born as a citizen of the village."

"What do you think that means?" Naruto asked sounding a little hopeful.

"I think that means that the reports of Uzumaki Kushina's death were falsified by the village," Yurushi answered and held his hand up to keep Naruto from asking the inevitable question. "I suspect the village faked her death in order to protect her in some way. I just don't know why."

"So," Naruto eased into his line of thought. "Was she my mother?"

Yurushi thought for a moment. She was the only possible candidate, but her reported death would make proving that difficult. "Officially, no she is not your mother. Unofficially, however, I believe that is exactly who she is. Perhaps her death was faked so they could protect the last living member of an allied clan, but I don't see why they would go to such lengths."

"Do, um, ah, well," Naruto stuttered grasping for words and clearly struggling with giving voice to his thoughts. "Do you think I could maybe find a picture of her? I know it sounds stupid, but I just want to see her face."

"Naruto," Yurushi said with deep empathy. He understood the request, the desire, the need to look into the eyes of the woman who gave birth to you. As if just seeing their face would let you know if, or how much, they loved you. Were they happy you had been born, did they regret not being near, or did they cry when they learned fate had conspired against them. Katsushiro-sensei had been a personal and dear friend of his own mother, so at the very least he was comforted by his master's stories. Naruto had nothing. Rising from the couch Yurushi realized his exhaustion was palpable and set off to find rest.

Naruto, lost in his own thoughts, had taken a seat at the table in the small dine-in kitchen. Yurushi placed a firm hand on his cousin's shoulder to let him know that he was there. The blond never turned around, but some of the tension eased just a bit, and he knew that Naruto understood the connection they shared. Theirs was a broken past, and piecing together the connections between their past and present was a personal mission that the redhead had been dedicated to. "I won't stop looking for answers. I promise I'll find a way for you to see your parents, even if it is just a picture. I'll talk to Jiraiya-sensei about all of this the next time he is in town. He wouldn't think too much of it if _I_ started asking questions about things that are supposed to be classified."

"Thanks, but you don't have to do all of that for me. I'll be fine, really. I'm sure I'll find out one of these days. Besides, you're my family Yurushi, so as long as we have each other's back that's good enough for me," the boy said with a mirthful smile. Yurushi would never challenge it, but he was not fooled, Naruto was still upset about the situation.

"It's too late to change my mind Naruto," Yurushi said with a smirk as he made the journey toward his bed. "Besides, I already made a promise. You of all people should know what that means."

Closing the door to his bedroom and feeling at ease within the darkened sanctuary he imagined his cousin's face being lit up with a truer sense of joy that he had been trying to fake earlier. Naruto's determination and grit had materialized in the sort of life long motto of '_I never go back on my word,_' and Yurushi had silently adopted it. There was honor in that, and such sentiments should always be emulated.

Lighting the candle on his desk he took a brief moment to add the poem he had scribbled down earlier that evening to the proper anthology he was writing. The brush strokes were careful and easy. Well practiced movements as the kanji formed upon the parchment. Tonight much had been learned, but for every mystery that was solved that many more secrets remained.

'_It isn't over yet,_' Yurushi determined as he finished his brushwork. '_No. This is only the beginning._'

* * *

**Thanks for reading. Just for the record, AKF is a designation I used as a method of historical timekeeping. It means After Konoha's Founding. I used Sarutobi Hiruzen as sort of a guideline for the age of the village give or take a decade or two. Its not a big deal and probably won't show up again, but I just wanted to clear possible confusion. Let me know what you think.  
**


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